PARTITA

by Barbara Kingsolver

Kingsolver’s latest is a brilliant story, told in the past and the present, of Livia Cable, a woman who once showed promise as a pianist but has settled into married life in the farm country where she grew up. She is drawn out of her peace by a phone call from the old lover who first introduced her to socialism and played a role in how she processed childhood traumas, familial estrangement, and passions. This book is typical Barbara Kingsolver: beautifully written and unforgettable characters. 

-Kathy & Laura

THE PIRATE QUEEN
by Ariel Lawhon



This book swept me away! Grace O'Malley, the real Pirate Queen of 16th century Ireland, was a mysterious and inspiring figure. Lawhon tells a fictionalized version of her story through the lens of Maiden, Mother, Matriarch.

Each chapter is a look into one of those three phases of her life, told in non sequential order. And the nonlinear structure is one of my favorite parts of this novel. It makes Grace's story feel all the more poignant and propulsive. Will she find love? What will become of her family? Does she ever find justice in her fight against Richard Bingham? And how will her story end?

I loved Frozen River, but I think I loved this one even more!

-Katie

THE WITCHES OF CAMBRIDGE
by Alice Hoffman

It’s 1950, and Ava has earned a scholarship to Radcliffe. On her very first night, she discovers that she is far from alone in being different when she meets Lauren and is welcomed into the secretive Lilith Society—a house and sisterhood for witches. Ava had always sensed there was something unusual about her, but her tightly controlled upbringing has kept her from discovering exactly what that might be. Lauren, meanwhile, comes from a celebrated family of witches and carries a very different burden: the dangerous temptation of dark magic.

As the girls make their way through four transformative years, both are forced to confront questions of identity, inheritance, friendship, and the choices that will shape their futures. Hoffman weaves their personal journeys into a richly atmospheric portrait of 1950s America, where the fear and suspicion of McCarthyism echoes the witch trials of the past—and where women still face the constraints and prejudices of a deeply misogynistic academic and social system.

Enchanting, mysterious, and atmospheric, it’s a wonderful choice for readers who like their historical fiction with a touch of magic.

-Karina

PECK & PECK

by Bonnie Garmus

Turns out lightning CAN strike twice, and Bonnie Garmus, of Lessons in Chemistry fame has done it.  Her new offering, Peck & Peck, is That Good.  “Irresistible, delightful, and tender,” says its publisher, and so it is. Set in NYC in the 1980’s world of publishing, Peck & Peck is complex, literary, satisfying, and touching. Our new favorite book. Not to be missed!

-Susan & Morley

THE VANISHING FAMILY

by Robert Kolker

Robert Kolker’s The Vanishing Family is a moving and thought-provoking book about dementia, genetics, and the impact of disease on a family. Much as he did with Hidden Valley Road and schizophrenia, Kolker combines medical research with the personal experiences of family members facing the possibility of inheriting fronto-temporal dementia.

Yes, it offers loads of insight and data about FTD, but it also explores love, identity, family, and hope. 

-Di

BAD WORDS

by Ríoghnach Robinson



Parker Navarro finds rare success with his debut novel. It’s touted as career-defining. The great contemporary novel. That is, until literary critic Selina Chan’s review in the esteemed City Magazine buries its promising future. The author and the critic go head-to-head in a feud displayed for public consumption. But after one unexpected run-in, and a series of witty emails while stranded in NYC for the holidays, their dynamic changes shape. Bad Words is a love letter to books, to why we read, why we create, and to the beauty and heartbreak of letting people see who you truly are. This is a must-read for any book lover!

-Katie

THE UNSELECTED JOURNALS OF EMMA M. LION

by Beth Brower



These short journals are set in a charming, fictional neighborhood in Victorian-era London and follow Emma as she returns to the city to claim her family home and inheritance. Written as diary entries, each volume captures a few months in Emma’s life. Light, witty and a delight to read! Although I have not watched Gilmore Girls, the vibe I see referenced is a mashup of GG and Jane Austen. Originally self-published in England, the whole series has recently been acquired by Penguin Random House and volume nine is due to release in February. Once you start with Emma, you won’t be able to stop. As a set, these would make a wonderful gift.

-Di & Susan

THE HAVANA SYNDROME

by Michael Rey and Oriana Zill de Granados



Yes, you have heard the term before-the Havana Syndrome refers to “sudden and devastating neurological injuries-symptoms eerily consistent with exposure to a directed energy weapon.” You have heard from various US government reports that these illnesses are hard to prove and most likely explained as psychosomatic or caused by a pre-existing condition. And this story, written by two writers from 60 Minutes, will knock the wind (and then some) out of that characterization. Be prepared to start this book and not put it down until you have turned the last page.

One little teaser:

On December 9, 1975, as Secretary of State Henry Kissinger prepared to travel to Moscow for arms control talks, he placed an urgent phone call to Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin in Washington. “I want to talk to you about the signal,” Kissinger told Dobrynin. “That beam you are beaming into our Embassy in Moscow... Maybe you could turn it off until I get there.”---Unbelievable.

-Anne

HOLLYWOOD, ENDING

by John Green

For rising young actors Kai Laramie and Juniper Castillo, being cast in the buzzy biopic Andy Warhol Never Gets Old is the opportunity they’ve both been waiting for. The movie gets shot, are the actors falling in love?, and before you know it, the film skyrockets to the top bringing Kai and Juniper along for the ride. This love story is a look at personal scars and public personas. It is a slow burn with character depth that had us reading late into the night.

-Morley & Di

QUEENS & KINGS

by Lucy Worsley

Lucy Worsley has been the Chief Curator for Historic Royal Palaces in Great Britain from 2003 to 2024. She stepped down to work on her Lady Killers podcast. Lucy is also a wickedly funny and engaging story teller!

In Queens and Kings she gives us an intimate portrait of that singular Lady Killer, Henry VIII and Hampton Court; we get the skinny on Queen Victoria’s wardrobe beyond the black frocks and learn some never before released personal hygiene secrets of the Royals. A must read for anyone who loves a little bit of pomp, circumstance and intrigue!

-Anne

RED ANTS: STORIES

by Kimberly Blaeser

(releases 10/20/2026)

Red Ants: Stories is that perfect variety bag of short stories! You can start with any one in the

collection and you will want to read another! And I dare say, you will want to read them more than once.

The dialog between her characters is peppered with Ojibwe and Anishinaabe. Rather than making it harder to understand what is being shared, it serves to make the sharing more intimate, personal. Blaeser’s stories will make you laugh, make you cry, make you cheer and make you silently scream.

-Anne

THE AMERICAN WAY OF KILLING

by Malcolm Gladwell

This is a fresh look at the data behind gun violence, how it has shaped our history and brought us to where we are today. Gladwell writes with passion reminding us it’s impossible to fix what we don’t understand. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It’s eye opening, and if we all read it, could possibly move the needle on this impossible epidemic. 

-Beth

DODGE CITY

by Patrick deWitt

Don’t miss this quirky, darkly humorous novel. Set over a few weeks in 1967 as Lee is driving cross-country with his draft notice in his pocket. Along the way he visits each member of his dysfunctional family as he ponders what his future should or could look like…enlist or escape. It’s an unconventional road trip story, and I loved it!

-Di

IDLE IN PROVENCE

by Eric Idle

If you loved Monty Python, celebrities from the 70s, 80s and 90s, pieces of land and houses, then this is your book! A love story to a house in Provence, intertwined with anecdotes about work, friendships and a big, messy life. I really enjoyed it!

-Missy

ODETTE RISING

b Julianne Edwards

It is 1896 and Odette finds herself the owner of her father’s silk stocking factory after he dies suddenly.  Not only does she know nothing about high end silk stockings, at age 21 she is a morbidly obese recluse who has shut herself in her bedroom for the last ten years.  Oh how you root for Odette as she navigates coming out of her shell. Loved!

-Morley