Featured Title
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
In the late 18
th Century a midwife recorded the details of daily life in her life and in her community. Inspired by the real-life record left behind by Martha Ballard, Lawhon crafts a suspenseful story set during one Maine winter in a small town. A woman under Martha’s care is assaulted and one of the alleged perpetrators found dead. Martha believes the crimes are connected and when the other man vanishes after the court declines to bring charges for the assault, she investigates the death of the first man to determine if he was murdered. This vivid and dramatic story will capture the attention of historical mystery readers but also speaks powerfully to inequities that still exist in the present day.
What's New This Month
The biggest books of the holiday season were released last month, but there are still plenty of smaller, hidden gems to be released this year. Check out
Flores & Miss Paula by Melissa Rivero, a story of a mother and daughter sharing a Brooklyn apartment, both grieving on the anniversary of their husband and father’s passing.
Here in the Dark by Alexis Soloski is a work of psychological suspense about a theater critic drawn into a game that blurs the line between performance and reality.
We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein is based on actual accounts about Jewish prisoners secretly documenting conditions inside the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II.
Nonfiction readers looking for a little adventure can find it in
The Lost Tomb by Douglas Preston, a collection of real life stories of legends, buried treasure, bizarre crimes, enigmatic murder and other fascinating tales from history.
What's Hot This Month
A selection of books recommended by experts to help understand what is happening in Israel and Palestine.
What We Are Reading
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
The 2023 Hugo Award winner is an eerie, dark spin on the traditional fairy tale in which the princess doesn’t go to marry the prince. Instead, she sets out on a quest to kill him. He’s already sent one of her sisters to the grave and will likely soon send another one there. Marra is determined not to let that happen. With the help of the witch, and a few others she collects along the way, they plan how to complete yet another impossible task. Full of captivating world building and characters, a feminist twist, and earnestly whimsical under the darkness. It’s an absolutely magical combination, a macabre fairytale that felt wonderfully fresh and familiar at the same time.
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