Bookish Musings

by Daniel NayeriFirst sentence: “A boy named Nothing woke up on the floor.”Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Release date: October 27, 2026Review copy provided by the publisher. Content: It has a fairy-tale-like feel, and there is a lot of white space. However, the words make pictures and while that’s cool, it might put off some readers. Nothing has no parents, and isn’t…

by Benjamin StevensonRead by: Barton WelchSupport your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Or listen at Libro.fmOthers in the series: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, Everyone on This Train is Suspect, Everyone This Christmas Has a SecretContent: There is swearing, including multiple f-bombs, and some pretty graphic descriptions of burned bodies. It’s in the mystery section of the…

by bell hooksRead by January LaVoySupport your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Or listen at Libro.fmContent: It’s challenging to read, and very honest about emotional abuse. It’s in the Creative Non-fiction section of the bookstore. I’ve had this on my radar for a long time, one I knew I “should” read. It just turned out that I had a little bit of a window, and it’s a short read. That…

by Beth BrowerFirst sentence: “I’ve yet to come up with a suitable greeting for when I see Pierce this morning.” (volume 7) and “When I came down for breakfast this morning, I found Agnes happily fussing over the stove while Parian ate his breakfast at the table, a cup of steaming coffee at his side.” (volume 8)Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Others in the series: Volume 1,…

by Alix E. HarrowRead by Natalie NaudusSupport your local independent bookstore: Buy it there!Or listen at Libro.fmContent: There is violence of the demon kind and abuse of the human kind. There is also swearing, including several f-bombs. It’s in the Science Fiction-Fantasy section of the bookstore. Opal’s mom died when she was 15, and she was left to raise her younger brother. Twelve years…

by Julia LondonFirst sentence: “Frances Deluca was kicked out of the Pecan Springs Pickleball Club leage the week before the championships, which she considered a direct assault on her unbeaten record.”Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Release date: June 30, 2026Review copy provided by the publisher. Content: There is swearing, including multiple f-bombs, and talk of sex, but…

by Zana FraillonFirst sentence: “Our nine octopus brains have a lot we’d like to say to the Waves of people who come every day to stare, to gawk to squeak to squak to squeal and to bang on our glass — “Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Release date: October 20, 2026Review copy provided by the publisherContent: There really isn’t anything. It will be in the Middle Grade…

by Shannon HaleFirst sentence: “Release date: September 22, 2026Review copy provided by the publisherOthers in the series: Austenland, Midnight in AustenlandContent: There is some mild swearing, and talk of abuse in a cult setting. It will be in the Romance section of the bookstore. Perhaps I should start with this: when I learned that Hale had written another book set in Austenland, I was super…

by Brooke AverickRead by the authorSupport your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Or listen at Libro.fmContent: There is a lot of swearing, including multiple f-bombs, and fade-to-black sex. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore. Phoebe Berman is coming up on her 30th birthday, and she’s feeling anxious about it. Mostly because she’s never been in a relationship or on a date or…

by Kara LaReauFirst sentence: “Sometimes I dream about the house at 5 Manderley Lane, dreams that make my legs kick and my whiskers twitch.”Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Release date: Oct 20, 2026Review copy provided by the publisher.Content: There are some unsettling moments and talk of a pet’s death. It will be in the Middle Grade (grades 3-5) section of the…

by Amy-Jill LevineFirst sentence: “Jesus is fascinating.”Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Content: It’s a bit scholarly at times, which I found a little dense to wade through, which is partly why it took me so long to get through this one. It’s in the Religion/Philosophy section of the bookstore. One of the most important things to know about this book is that Levine is a…

by V. E. SchwabFirst sentence: “The night Marcella died, she made her husband’s favorite dinner.”Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Others in the series: ViciousContent: It is very violent, with a super high body count, and some of the deaths are quite violent. It’s also swearing, with multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore. Spoilers…

by Sunyi DeanRead by Natalie NaudusSupport your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Or listen at Libro.fmContent: There is a lot of violence, including some gruesome killings, as well as swearing, including multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore. Mercy Chan has spent the past 30 years since she washed up on the shores of Hong Kong being a ghost…

by Felicia Day, illustrations by Rowan MacCollSupport your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Content: It’s based in the Greek myths, so the general Greek myth stuff – violence, talk of abuse and rape, and parental neglect. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore. Philonoe is the fourth sister whose famous older sisters – Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, Timandra – all betrayed…

by Lois LowryFirst sentence: “Later — much later, when she was grown — Tessa remembered those weeks when she was fourteen years old.”Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!Review copy provided by the publisherRelease date: September 29, 2026Content: There are some unsettling parts. It will be in the Middle Grade (grades 3-5) section of the bookstore. One day, Tessa’s twin brother…