The Village Beyond the Mist
by Sachiko Kashiwaba
A mountain town that’s not on any map, a messy bookstore with infinite doors, and a spoiled prince under a forgetful wizard’s curse… this summer might hold more than Lina bargained for! When a gust of wind carries off her umbrella, it leads Lina down a secret path between the trees to a strange and incredible world. In the hidden village of Misty Valley, centaurs roam the cobblestone streets and gnomes visit shops stuffed with spellbooks and enchanted desserts. All magic has a dark side, though, and sometimes even sorcerers need a human’s helping hand.
The Book Censor’s Library
by Bothayna Al-Essa
The new book censor hasn’t slept soundly in weeks. By day he combs through manuscripts at a government office, looking for anything that would make a book unfit to publish–allusions to queerness, unapproved religions, any mention of life before the Revolution. By night the characters of literary classics crowd his dreams, and pilfered novels pile up in the house he shares with his wife and daughter. As the siren song of forbidden reading continues to beckon, he descends into a netherworld of resistance fighters, undercover booksellers, and outlaw librarians trying to save their history and culture.
The Lioness of Boston
by Emily Franklin
A deeply evocative portrait of Isabella Stewart Gardner, a daring visionary who created an inimitable legacy in American art and transformed the city of Boston itself.
On James Baldwin
by Colm Tóibín
Acclaimed Irish novelist Colm Tóibín first read James Baldwin just after turning eighteen. He had completed his first year at an Irish university and was struggling to free himself from a religious upbringing. He had even considered entering a seminary and was searching for literature that would offer illumination and insight.
Slipsworth
by Simon Van Booy
Following the deaths of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to her hometown in England after living abroad for sixty years. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss, and she retreats from the world into a life of dull routine. Then one winter night, a chance encounter with a mouse sets Helen on a surprising journey.
The Privilege of the Happy Endings
by Kij Johnson
A surprising and exciting new collection of speculative and experimental stories that explore animal intelligences, gender, and the nature of stories.