Twelve-year-old Rowdy Buckner who has dark eyes and hair and “the same brown skin passed down from ancestors who called this kingdom home long before it was a kingdom at all” is sick of his pampered lifestyle as the future monarch of the Kingdom of Texas in the Allied Lands a magical version of the U.S. He dreams of someday being an adventurer and gaining access to the alchemic tonics that provide gender-affirming and other physical changes so he can live as the man he’s long known himself to be. Rowdy’s parents unconditionally support his identity but say his behavior is too irresponsible and impulsive—he whines screams at a housekeeper for smiling and abandons friends who are in danger—to access the “powerful magick” of the tonics just yet. Rowdy decides to prove them wrong by competing in Realmsweep a high-stakes team scavenger hunt. The hunt which culminates in an anti-monarchy protest after the murder of a dark-skinned boy named d’Artagnan by city guards offers big-hearted if unsubtle moral lessons that are somewhat undermined by Rowdy’s own incipient “earned” kingship at the denouement. The writing is often repetitive and expository; the magic and worldbuilding like the moralizing feel overstuffed but ultimately work in service of the worthy message that kids needn’t be likeable to deserve love community and gender-affirming care.

This collective biography/alphabet book defines a hero as “someone who tries to be their best self who helps others who makes the world a better place.” One Jewish hero is included for each letter of the alphabet. The 14 women and 12 men featured vary in terms of race and ability as well as occupation. Notably fully half are living.   “A B C—what type of hero will you be?” ask Cohen and Olitzky encouraging readers to see themselves in the individuals profiled. Each entry includes a well-designed stylized portrait in bright balanced colors showing the subject in action. The information provided is necessarily basic. The entry for J (“Jonas Jiggles a test tube”) includes an illustration of Jonas Salk standing before a set of beakers. The letter J is highlighted and a caption in small print identifies him as the scientist responsible for the polio vaccine. Half the entries include an inspirational quote that doesn’t add much (for Olympic gold medal gymnast Kerri Strug “Have a passion”; for Marvel publisher Stan Lee “One person can make a difference”); backmatter with brief bios would have been more useful given that not all the subjects are household names. The work concludes with the words “I will make a difference by…”—an opportunity for age-appropriate reflection.

Hannah Kabbah loves working in child care but due to that time she destroyed a man’s car with a cricket bat after he hurt her sister she has a criminal record making it hard to find a desirable job in the small English town of Ravenswood. When her teenage crush Nathaniel Davis now a tattooed photographer and widower moves back to town to care for his ailing mother Hannah accepts a position as a live-in nanny for his two spirited young children. She immediately loves the kids and the job but her romantic feelings for Nate refuse to stay in the past. Nate is captivated by Hannah who’s blunt and bossy with him but has endless patience and adoration for his children. As her employer he’s very much aware of the power imbalance between them and doesn’t want to be the kind of man who crosses that line but when he senses his affection is reciprocated he’ll stop at nothing to be with her. Originally self-published in 2018 this book will please fans of the first Ravenswood book A Girl Like Her or any other Hibbert title as it’s a strong example of the author’s adept character building and sexy storytelling. The professional tie between Hannah and Nate is a barrier in their relationship but the larger obstacles in their way are more internal—various thoughts and emotions that prevent them from opening up or accepting love including Hannah’s anxiety and depression and Nate’s self-doubt and shame. These serious topics are sensitively handled while the story as a whole feels joyful and fun due to Hibbert’s witty and approachable writing.

When the muckraking journalist Barbara Ehrenreich died in 2022 her author son Ben decided to write a story every day to work through his emotions. The 85 pieces collected here all roughly qualify as flash fiction though a few are ultrabrief wisps of ideas. (Complete text of one piece: “Again it was supposed to rain but it did not rain again.”) Some pieces are intimately engaged with moments from Ehrenreich’s life with his wife and young daughter; others endeavor to evoke the language of myth and fable in narratives populated by magpies crows tigers and wolves. But regardless of the register he writes in or the length of the piece Ehrenreich is wrestling with the idea of story itself—what it takes to put a life in order what’s sacrificed when you do so and whether it’s possible or fair to try. (“I am tired. Is that a story?” he asks.) The brevity and fluidity of themes in these pieces recall Lydia Davis’ spiky short fiction though Ehrenreich keeps the mood somber and questioning. Three of the pieces were inspired by the deaths of others besides his mother and his prevailing response is one of mournful uncertainty. “It is through stories that I know how to connect to the world so I wrote stories” he writes in the introduction and he seems skeptical about how much stories can help. But the effort itself and his refusal to seek pat tidy resolutions are what make the book poignant and satisfying; he’s deliberately evoking the anguish and frustration of anyone who’s struggled to articulate the loss of a loved one. It’s a curious kind of balm but a balm nonetheless.

Bored with life in Toronto attractive young Priscilla Tempest left Canada for London where she’s serving as press officer at the famed Savoy Hotel. Her title might as well be Miss Fix-it since she’s the one who’s called to deal with all sorts of problems from hungover guests to temperamental actors who refuse to rehearse. Her current emergency however literally has her name on it since a dead man has been found in a car in front of the hotel clutching a note to “my darling Priscilla.” Author Base treats Priscilla like Agatha Christie’s indispensable Lucy Eyelesbarrow in 4:50 From Paddington a comparison encouraged by the key supporting role Dame Agatha plays in the press officer’s adventure. Priscilla deals competently with random inquiries from members of the public and props up the fragile egos of stars like Rex Harrison and Marlene Dietrich who are currently squabbling their way through the Savoy Theatre’s production of Witness for the Prosecution. But despite Base’s frequent reminders of Priscilla’s comeliness his protagonist is not especially appealing. Her attitude toward the wives of the many men she beds is dismissive. She’s contemptuous of Phoebe her plain-Jane sister whose sole sexual conquest is a lowly car salesman and Priscilla’s ex-fiancé to boot. She isn’t particularly effective as a press officer since she’s ignorant of basic journalistic customs like the need to fact-check information before publishing it. And as a sleuth she’s extremely gullible accepting suspects’ stories at face value. She does manage to solve the case although most readers won’t be able to since the solution to the mystery is in The Red Umbrella a book that doesn’t exist.

Dishing up a lighter-than-air confection replete with homages to classic holiday tales Grabenstein pits bookish 12-year-old Eloise Dobyns against spiteful failed author Roger Scobeenzee—who having gained access to the source code for all the Christmas stories in existence aims to overwrite them with his own dour vision of a Christmas Eve Martian invasion. Fortunately Eloise has on her side an odd but helpful new schoolmate named (with shades of a certain well-known Christmas film) Clarence. She’s also helped by giddy bazillionaire Luigi L. Lemoncello whose awesometastic library includes a Fictionasium where stories come to life (and where most of this one is set). The author tucks in nods to Hanukkah Kwanzaa the Dongzhi Festival Yalda Night Chawmos and Bodhi Day but (the presence of Clarence notwithstanding) sticks to a secular version of the meaning of Christmas that doesn’t go beyond the wondermous rewards of exchanging gifts. And of course saving all the Christmas stories—even sad ones like The Little Match Girl—while solving a Yuletide rebus and bringing Scobeenzee around to a change of heart and a jolly “God bless us every one!” Characters largely read white. Sparse stock art is scattered through the interior.

In distinct contrast to the general run of introductions to volcanoes which tend to be full of melodramatic images and tales of widespread disaster this survey goes for cute. Wagstaffe does acknowledge the perils of being anywhere near an erupting volcano’s gigantic emissions of gas and flows of lava and ash pyroclastic or otherwise but Stevie turns out to be more lonely than dangerous and her fiery Hawaiian neighbors throw her a welcome party when she emerges from the ocean at last. And given that McLaughlin has put dot-eyed faces—some showing strained expressions but most smiling—on every cone in sight topped the active ones with rubbery blobs of magma and surrounded marine volcanoes with brightly colored sea life readers are likely to take any narrative warnings lightly. Still between multiple cutaway views of deep volcanic structures and lucid explanations of calderas hydrothermal vents differences between immense shield volcanoes and those that form cinder and composite cones and other characteristics of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions there is a good fund of solid information to take away. The author closes by observing that the effects of volcanic eruptions on climate patterns actually pale next to those caused by humans. Human figures in the art are rare but racially diverse.

That was until last year when she joined her school’s theatrical group and fell for their mysterious star Roman Cavalero. Now the British teen’s Type A skills are being put to the test as the Edgemoor Players venture out on an unchaperoned extra credit orienteering trip on their local moor. Faced with dangerous snowy conditions the young actors become trapped in a creepy old abandoned church as they await rescue. While waiting they discover the church is connected to Winter’s Harsh Huntsman—last year’s play their sole performance and one that ended in tragedy. The book is structured in three parts: the first and third sections describe the present-day events of the moors trip separated by a lengthy flashback detailing the previous year’s work on the play. This unfortunately makes for a frustrating read as the first part hints at mysterious events of the past without sufficient context and the second part feels like an excessively long break from the action of the moor trip. The character and plot development lacks depth and the central romance is rife with red flags. Hazel and Roman present white and names cue ethnic diversity in the supporting cast.

Working with artists Horner and Staehle as he did for Hidden Pictures (2022) Rekulak uses illustrations to support a paranormal thriller plot. Penny Padgett a 27-year-old cartoonist living in Philadelphia has published three beloved graphic novels about her life with her cat Popcorn and is working on a fourth when Popcorn darts out the window during a snowstorm and disappears. When all efforts to locate him fail Penny spirals into unproductive despair. Her live-in boyfriend Dean Everhardt who works in finance insists she accompany him to a cocktail party at the Brandywine Valley estate of his most important client Evelyn Bruehl. At the party Penny hears mewing that at first she’s sure must be Popcorn but which turns out to be a very different cat named Godfrey. Godfrey immediately attaches himself to Penny and when Evelyn—who’s about to take an extended trip to Europe—asks her to cat-sit Dean pressures her to agree. Though at first Godfrey’s presence helps Penny break through her writer’s block she’s completely disgusted by his custom-made food which is delivered by his equally repugnant private veterinarian. And then something very strange starts happening to her artwork which is suddenly filled with macabre and demonic imagery she can’t remember producing. Also she’s losing weight and something terrible is happening to her skin. At this point the plot pivots into full-on horror with a disgusting infestation of giant beetles and revolting odors taking over Penny’s house and a horrific murder next door. Penny finds some clues about what’s happening in a biography of Evelyn Bruehl’s grandfather illustrator Barnabas Godfrey—the cat’s namesake. The 80-plus pages of illustrations include both Penny’s comic panels and Barnabas’ 19th-century images the latter also filled with hints of what will emerge in the dramatic screamworthy climax.

Larkspur Lee a first-year American student on scholarship is well aware of the precariousness of her situation at Université Meurdrac. Without social standing or family connections Lark must use her fierce ambition and hard-earned knowledge of alchemy to survive. When the opportunity arises for a coveted apprenticeship with the immortal Petronelle Flamel she grabs the chance to access the hidden web of alchemists that thrums beneath society; it offers a pipeline to immortality and a chance to outrun the devious mentor she left behind in California. The school descends into chaos with Flamel’s murder as a dangerous sect the Promethean Genesis threatens Lark’s world once again. As an official investigation into Flamel’s death unfolds Lark is haunted by bloody memories and the sight of moths constantly flickering in her vision. The past seems to be nipping at Lark’s heels; her complicated relationships with her Korean mother and grandmother leave her isolated emotionally; and with alchemy outward appearances often belie the textured truths beneath. Author Jung’s lush prose conveys the depths of Lark’s ambition as it wars with her sense of despair and self-destructive impulses that flare up as she struggles for independence from her mentor. While Lark deliberates about working with Knight Violaine a brusque woman who serves the immortals and captivates her she’s forced to reckon with dangers past and present. Questions that Lark can easily answer in the opening chapters lose their clear-cut edges as she traverses the reality behind the glamorous facades of Paris Meurdrac and alchemist society: What is the cost of innovation and progress? Who decides?

Award-winning Scottish historian Pettegree offers an abundantly detailed history of bookselling spanning the past 600 years. As far back as Greek and Roman times there was a market for handwritten texts and even before the invention of printing doctors lawyers and clergymen collected relevant tomes. Gutenberg’s invention though fueled the start of a book industry that involved printers typefounders binders publishers and sellers. France Germany and Italy emerged as the most important book markets with London Cambridge and Oxford the center of trade in England. Bookselling in shops at fairs and by itinerant salesmen proved to be a viable business venture. In 18th-century England 316 towns more than 20 miles from London had a bookshop with some promoting books of local interest; in the early 19th century printing offices and bookshops proliferated in rural America. Developments in print technology (machine printing for one adopted by British publishers only as late as the 1840s) and transportation allowed the industry to expand. Circulating libraries became popular with readers especially eager for novels. Pettegree considers the challenges facing booksellers from censorship “by religious opponents or the guardians of social orthodoxy.” Although these monitors of morality focused primarily on authors and publishers printers and sellers also faced legal strictures. Among many facets of the book trade Pettegree includes the growth of the antiquarian book market the distribution of books for troops and prisoners of war and the rise of specialized bookshops—serving for example Black women’s radical Christian and college communities. He notes with satisfaction the waning popularity of the e-reader and the easy access to books on Amazon. Bookselling he proves convincingly is “one of the most consequential of all industries.”

Evoking the excitement of discovery in his illustrations Litchfield illuminates events both above ground and below with sparkles and broad beams of light. Walking through the woods to get away from the increasingly troubling war news in 1940 young Marcel Ravidat finds some unusual holes—which as he learns when he returns with three friends to explore lead to a subterranean wonderland of caves covered in painted animal images. “Arch of a neck” Pruitt writes in enticing breathless prose. “Flash of an eye.” “Elk bison a Great Black Bull. Horses. So many horses.” The wondering observers the friends they later let in for a small charge and then the experts who learned of the discovery asked questions that are still seeking answers: “Who made these paintings? What tools did they use? How did they learn to paint like this?” The illustrator brings the wall creatures to incredibly vivid life: Some make eye contact with visitors; we see shadowy prehistoric artists creating others. The paintings are estimated to be about 20000 years old the author explains in a detailed afterword that accompanies photos of select originals and of Marcel and his friends too. Much about them remains tantalizingly mysterious though.

Rod Serling’s name is inextricably linked to The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) the groundbreaking science-fiction show he created; accordingly journalist Sepinwall author of TV (The Book) titles many chapters of his biography after celebrated episodes that offer sharp insights into Serling’s life. “A World of His Own” for instance named for an episode about a playwright whose characters literally come to life considers Serling’s almost “godlike” power and prestige “at a moment when the idea of writers having any authority in television still seemed foreign.” Understandably The Twilight Zone looms large and Sepinwall’s analysis of the show is one of this volume’s strengths: He cogently points out that while the program is most associated with creepy twist endings and terrifying bogeymen many episodes are marked by real warmth and even sentimentality. But Sepinwall never loses sight of the man himself; he delves into Serling’s other works—both the more well-known like his follow-up anthology show Night Gallery and the obscure (his ultimately disappointing and short-lived take on the Western CBS’ The Loner). The author also provides a compelling psychological profile of Serling: his reputation as TV’s “Angry Young Man” who frequently clashed with censors the loving family man who made time for his wife and children amid a grueling schedule and his shockingly outsize sense of self-criticism. As he told author Mark Olshaker “The good writing really good writing—like wine—has to age well with the years and my stuff is momentarily adequate.” The account of Serling’s death at 50 in 1975 (the result of a heart attack while undergoing a coronary bypass) feels especially devastating given that he didn’t live long enough to recognize the impact of his work. Frequent quotes from the many creators who have drawn influence from The Twilight Zone among them Jordan Peele Guillermo del Toro and J.J. Abrams are a rich testament to his legacy; this is the biography one wishes Serling himself could have read.

In London Tom Branimir’s reputation as a journalist precedes him. Over the years he’s increasingly devoted his career to writing exposés about fraudsters who push bogus health remedies and scam their followers. His cynical outlook and ruthless coverage have even earned him the nickname “King of Cancel Culture.” So he’s not expecting to find inspiration for his next investigative piece in someone who’s completely genuine. Raina Lewis has become a rising star courtesy of her smash-hit podcast The Disability Track using her lived experience as an autistic woman to shine a spotlight on neurodivergence. Not only has she made it her mission to correct some of the biggest misconceptions about the condition but she also wants her podcast to make women like her feel seen. When Tom first notices Raina at a party they’ve both been dragged to he immediately decides that she’s the most incredible woman he’s ever met but she’s understandably skeptical about his intentions. To save face after a disastrous first conversation Tom offers to make Raina the subject of his next profile and she reluctantly agrees so long as it isn’t an attempt to smear her name. The truth is that Tom has no real plan to write about Raina; he just wants to spend enough time with her to convince her that his feelings are genuine. McNicoll’s adult debut is effervescently funny and wonderfully sincere with perfectly fizzy banter between its leads and a throughline of clear lived experience that makes Raina’s journey both compelling and illuminating. Tom’s dedication to winning her over is immensely charming while Raina’s sparkling personality will leave you rooting for her to find the love story she’s always believed is out of reach.

Setting her tone with the opening header “Weirdness All the Way Down” marine biologist Scales highlights a select menagerie of strange-looking ocean fauna from giant and colossal squid (which are actually different species) to bubblegum corals E.T. sponges and jellies called “larvaceans” enveloped in floating “snot palaces.” Beginning at the bottom where in places the mud can run six miles thick she works her way upward to an open “world with no edges” and finally to the nighttime surface where trillions of copepods and related creatures serve as “climate champions” by drawing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Oceans contain more than 90% of our planet’s entire biosphere she notes and just to demonstrate how much remains to be explored and discovered she closes with introductions to seven marine denizens first seen as recently as 2022. Taking her cue from a claim that three-quarters of all deep-sea creatures are bioluminescent Miminoshvili’s wildlife portraits glow in every scene—so brightly that reflections often give skin surfaces a plastic sheen. Still “weirdness” definitely comes through in full finny toothy writhing intensity while glimpses of the submersibles and remotely operated vehicles that researchers employ and cutaway views of hydrothermal vents add helpful background detail.

This globe-spanning guide begins in Canada and circles the world in a generally easterly direction—leaving out the polar regions but fetching up at last with entries for Vanuatu and New Zealand. Each of the just under 200 single-page stops along the way presents a crowded but easily navigable mix of distinctive landmarks (portrayed in photos or Li’s and Andrya’s illustrations) updated fast facts (including a small map and flag) and notes on a choice selection of geographical cultural and historical highlights. Adopting the role of tour guide with evident relish Croft reels off tributes claims and observations in glib and jokey language as he squires readers from Mount Rushmore—where “George Washington’s giant nose can get quite runny when it’s cold!”—to face-to-face encounters with a South Pacific blobfish “perhaps the world’s ugliest animal” and the Komodo dragon of Indonesia which has “teeth that secrete venom into their prey whenever they take a big bite! CHOMP!” For all the upbeat overall tone the book covers areas of unrest too: Israel and Palestine share an entry for example and there are mentions of active conflicts like the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran. The human figures are nearly always portrayed as local color in distinctive national or ceremonial dress.

In much of this book historian Williams delivers a generally conventional history of the Civil War reciting battles casualties and political milestones: Fort Sumter the Gettysburg Address 700000 Americans dead. Underlying his account is the thesis that for all its claims (and those of its descendants and latter-day champions) to the contrary the Confederacy was never an independent nation while the war to preserve the Union “constituted a crusade to save every inch of the perpetual United States…from subversive insurrectionist citizens trying to destroy it.” At the heart of that insurrection was an elite white-supremacist ruling class of enslavers for which reason some historians are now calling the Civil War “the Slaveholders’ Rebellion.” Williams retains the conventional term while examining some of the hypocrisies surrounding the conflict: the South’s insistence on the right of secession but its war against West Virginia when it seceded from secessionist Virginia; the white-supremacist credo that “even the poorest white man held authority and esteem in comparison to any of the enslaved.” The author paints with a broad brush however when he insists that the insurrectionists—by definition traitors to be sure—were fanatics to a man (and woman); indeed the word “fanatic” and its kin appear three dozen times always in that context. The rhetoric descends from there: The Confederates were “fringe fanatical and unlikable”—and smelly to boot. All this detracts from an argument whose main outlines are incontestable (though they will be contested) and which offers valuable insights: “The Civil War did not end in reunion. It ended in unconditional surrender and absolute defeat. But until we remember it as such we risk losing the greatest victory in American history.”

Laia Grace Shirzan lives a perfect happy life in beautiful New York City with a daily routine involving meditation and manifestations makeup and skin care (whale semen for the faceful of multivitamins!) the most delicious lattes Pilates (where she never sweats) and content creation for her moderately successful profile. Tonight there’s an important brand event where she hopes to secure a yearlong contract as an ambassador. When her predictable routine starts going awry she tries to ignore it and maintain her positive outlook but then she meets Noah Davis a lawyer who looks like a lumberjack who helps Laia realize that maybe her day and her life aren’t as impeccable as they seem. Noah explains that somehow the two of them got stuck in her algorithm; now the unlikely pair are reliving the same day over and over—and developing feelings for each other in the process. The only way to break out is for Laia to change her content by facing the truth and embracing vulnerability and imperfection. Hariri-Kia lovingly pokes fun at the beauty industry and influencer lifestyle in a way that shows great respect for women and each individual’s complexities while also making a legit critique of the impossible standards society upholds. She deftly explores universal themes of connection longing and self-doubt through the culturally specific lens of an Iranian American woman. Laia is the star but Noah has a moving plotline as well as he faces his grief and mental health struggles. It’s an ambitious story but even if the logic is a bit messy at times the emotions always feel authentic and the humorous heartfelt narrative flows effortlessly.

Life is finally coming together for Grace Anderson who left her parents thousands of miles away in Florida to launch herself in Philadelphia. And launch she has almost immediately stumbling into a position assisting artist Garrett Baros who’s having a moment of his own—he’s recently been selected as a featured artist by the Institute of Contemporary Art. But just one short month into her new morning routine before Grace has even gotten comfortably settled into whatever adulthood has to offer she’s greeted at the studio not by Garrett hard at work on his latest piece but by his dead body. She’s deeply shaken particularly given that Garrett was only 40 but at least Grace is cleared for the crime by police officer Sean Cordon a man with kind eyes who seems more interested in helping Grace than accusing her of anything. Still reeling and wondering what to do next Grace has a visitor in Jo Baros Garrett’s newly minted widow whom Grace had previously thought of exclusively as a chic Art Gallery Barbie. Grace is confused by the visit—does Jo want to share memories?—until it becomes clear that Jo is there to offer Grace the job of a lifetime: to help her solve Garrett’s murder. What follows is a tale clearly designed to hit all the notes of a classic caper. Zany costumes. A “crime board.” Attempts at subterfuge. But the hijinks though clever at times aren’t sufficiently supported by the development of a meaningful relationship between the two pseudo-detectives. Readers could be left wondering not whether Grace and Jo solve a murder but why.

Della Farley embodies the classic fairy-tale heroine of a working-class woman whose dreams stretch far beyond her responsibilities of scrubbing floors and dusting shelves. When she discovers a mysterious book lying in the street she’s captured by the tale of an intergalactic bounty hunter named Ansel Tulzok. In the next chapter Ansel himself finds a slightly different book: The story within its pages is Della’s. They both quickly become aware that this isn’t an ordinary book. Della is reading about Ansel who is reading about Della and events that have just taken place. As they learn more about each other they use the book to begin communicating directly. Compared to Ansel’s adventures the drudgery of Della’s life becomes even more apparent. A wild idea takes shape. What if Della could write herself into Ansel’s story? To her surprise it works and the maid finds herself aboard a ship with a man who has slowly progressed from imaginative pen pal to friend in the flesh. Blending science fiction and fantasy this is a fun and inventive setup though perhaps a bit too ambitious when trying to juggle romance as well. Some aspects work well while others feel cobbled together. The epistolary elements are tender and the way Ansel and Della slowly reveal their vulnerabilities through the book is full of tension and yearning. The cast of characters is lively and the secondary characters feel especially distinct and memorable. Once the narrative switches to Della and Ansel being together in the same physical space the focus shifts toward more action and external conflict. Both halves of the book work well separately but don’t fit seamlessly together.