A Fast Company Press book

How a culture of "WOW" transformed the travel industry

"WOW!" was the word on everyone's lips as the first guests stepped aboard Icon of the Seas, the largest, most spectacular cruise ship ever created.

Icon was one of many WOWs generated by a standout culture during the tenure of Richard Fain, regularly named one of Barron's "World's Best CEOs." Under Fain's leadership, Royal Caribbean Group built the world's most innovative ships--large and small--and one of the strongest service cultures in the travel industry.

In Delivering the WOW, Fain shows how a culture united people around a mission, delighted guests, and unlocked extraordinary performance. Drawing on vivid stories from 33 years at the helm, Fain explains how a remarkable culture was forged and strengthened through:

*Alignment: ensuring every employee understands the same clear mission, beyond hierarchy or titles

*Intentionality: never losing sight of the ultimate goal and ensuring that every action, big or small, supports that objective

*Continuous improvement: never being satisfied; always believing that there are ways to improve

*Crisis response: deeply rooted culture as a stabilizing force during black swan events, including the global pandemic

Invaluable principles like these are woven into unforgettable stories which help explain how the company's profitability, guest capacity, and employee base all grew more than thirtyfold. Fain also candidly recounts mistakes he made along the way. He takes readers inside tough decisions during high-stakes crises--including the COVID shutdown--that helped rally 100,000 employees to beat the odds and unify the company like never before.

Beyond its valuable lessons, the book offers cruise enthusiasts a behind-the-scenes look at the dedicated teamwork that shapes every unforgettable voyage. Delivering the WOW tells the dramatic story of a tenacious culture that surmounted challenges, thrilled customers, and introduced game-changing innovations.

A New Yorker Best Book of 2026

"Comprehensive and sobering. Tulsky details McIntyre’s naïve certainty that the truth would come out during his trial, his alternation between hope and despair as his case went through the legal system, and the many obstacles before his eventual exoneration, in 2017. A worthy entry in the canon of American injustice."—The New Yorker

“Yet another maddening, frustrating, overwhelming, outrageous, and unbelievable story of corrupt justice in America. This one, though, is handled by Rick Tulsky, a dogged investigator, journalist, lawyer, advocate, and gifted writer.”—John Grisham, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Firm and Framed

The powerful story of a falsely imprisoned man and a sweeping indictment of a city and the criminal justice system by a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist.

"A tour de force of reporting and revelation: it is the best expose of corruption I have ever read. Anybody who cares about what is happening in America should read it."—Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights and The Mosquito Bowl

When the bodies of two Black men were found sitting with a crackpipe in a parked car in a rundown section of town in 1994, it seemed just another day in Kansas City, Kansas. The swift arrest and conviction of a seventeen-year-old Black kid from a broken home raised no eyebrows either.

And yet, thirty years later, Lamonte McIntyre would prove to be the David that took down the Goliath of corruption that had long controlled the city’s power structure and enveloped the city’s justice system

But the effort to prove Lamonte’s innocence opened a Pandora’s box. Before it was over, the fight to win Lamonte’s exoneration exposed corrupt police and prosecutors, incompetent court-appointed defense lawyers, and a judge who violated ethical standards by his secret past relationship with the prosecutor, whom he favored in his rulings.

Injustice Town follows Lamonte’s case from its harrowing beginning to its triumphant end and beyond, including the legal tsunami that came in its wake, that engulfed prosecutors, attorneys, and judges. Most shockingly, the lead cop on the case was indicted by the Department of Justice for the widespread abuses he had committed years earlier on women in the Black community of Kansas City Kansas. Abuses documented by Lamonte’s team. The criminal case ended, literally, with a bang, denying Lamonte and those whom the detective hurt, the chance for them to seek their own justice.

Rick Tulsky, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, goes beyond the courthouse, exposing the ways in which corruption flourished for decades in an erstwhile quiet Midwest town, a town once dedicated to justice and equality.

A lawyer by training as well as a reporter, Tulsky's narrative not only brings Lamonte's story to vivid life, it will empower cities, counties, states, and everyday citizens with a blueprint for equal justice. At a time when the federal government is abdicating its responsibility for demanding fairness and justice, it is up to states, local governments, and we the people look to ways they can act. Vivid and unforgettable, Injustice Town tells the story of one man and shows us a vision of what a better future could be.

“Among the most vicious and systemic civil rights train wrecks in an American city.”—Barry Scheck, cofounder of the Innocence Project

In early printings of the book, the image of Tom Dailey is misidentified. The correction has been made to the ebook and later printings.

"This packed account makes food science feel like an urgent and essential undertaking." —Publishers Weekly (Top 10 New Release in Science)

“A strong case for how science can come to our rescue in the kitchen—if we let it.” —Kirkus Reviews

Good Food Institute founder and president Bruce Friedrich offers a hopeful and rigorously researched exploration of how science, policy, and industry can work together to satisfy the world’s soaring demand for meat, while building a healthier and more sustainable world. 

The human love of meat appears to be hard-wired. The world consumes more than 550 million metric tons of meat and seafood each year. That number has been climbing for decades and is expected to continue to rise through at least 2050.

What if we could give humanity the meat it craves, but produced differently? Plant-based and cultivated meat that are just as delicious as the meat you love, but more affordable and healthier.

Think it’s not possible? With examples ranging from the “horseless carriage” (car) to the smart phone in your pocket, Meat reminds readers that scientific innovations often move from disbelief or opposition to inevitability and ubiquity, much faster than almost anyone expects. 

Envisioning a future where meat is both a delight and a force for good, Friedrich explores:
 

• Humanity’s 12,000-year-old practice of raising animals for meat, and why we need to figure out a better way.
• The science and scientists behind the efforts to create plant-based and cultivated meat that is indistinguishable from conventional animal meat, but less expensive, more nutritious, and safer.
• How plant-based and cultivated meat can preserve forests and biodiversity, mitigate climate change and ocean pollution, and lower antimicrobial resistance and pandemic risk.
• The economic and food security benefits of making meat more efficiently, which include trillions of dollars in economic output annually, tens of millions of good jobs, and the possibility of a revitalized farm economy.

Meat offers a vision of the next agricultural revolution that is optimistic, achievable, and delicious.

A March Indie Next Pick * A Barnes & Noble Most Anticipated Nonfiction Book of 2026 * A Barnes & Noble Reads Best Book of February 2026

From the author of the national bestseller The Dark Queens, an incandescent work of true crime and feminist history about Elizabeth Bathory, the woman alleged to be the world's most prolific female serial killer.

There have long been whispers, coming from the castle; from the village square; from the dark woods. The great lady-a countess, from one of Europe's oldest families-is a vicious killer. Some even say she bathes in the blood of her victims. When the king's men force their way into her manor house, she has blood on her hands, caught in the act of murdering yet another of her maids. She is walled up in a tower and never seen again, except in the uppermost barred window, where she broods over the countryside, cursing all those who dared speak up against her.

Told and retold in many languages, the legend of the Blood Countess has consumed cultural imaginations around the world. But despite claims that Elizabeth Bathory tortured and killed as many as 650 girls, some have wondered if the Countess was herself a victim- of one of the most successful disinformation campaigns known to history. So, was Elizabeth Bathory a monster, a victim, or a bit of both? With the breathlessness of a whodunit, drawing upon new archival evidence and questioning old assumptions, Shelley Puhak traces the Countess's downfall, bringing to life an assertive woman leader in a world sliding into anti-scientific, reactionary darkness-a world where nothing is ever as it seems. In this exhilarating narrative, Puhak renders a vivid portrait of history's most dangerous woman and her tumultuous time, revealing just how far we will go to destroy a woman in power.

From a wayward California girl growing up in the heart of the porn-born San Fernando Valley, Gina Gershon found herself on a journey that has been anything but traditional. Along the way, she had to learn how to spot the toxic types--in both her personal life and her career--and figure out how to dodge, outsmart, or hustle her way through. From the Valley to the slums of Beverly Hills to New York City, she was confronted with shady characters and sketchy situations, all the while fighting to protect her autonomy as a woman and as an actress with a decidedly unconventional path.

AlphaPussy is a collection of true stories that explore themes of experience, survival, and the art of figuring it out as you go. They include strange encounters with celebrities and film directors such as Paul Verhoeven, Tom Cruise, Sharon Stone, Prince, Jennifer Tilly, Sylvester Stallone, David Mamet, Bob Fosse, and so many others. Often hilarious, usually cautionary, and almost always wrapped in absurdity, Gershon's tales explore how she found herself through bad decisions, awkward moments, and cringe-worthy encounters that somehow gave rise to survival skills.

Gershon stresses that while it can be important to listen to others, it's more important to listen to oneself. To trust your gut. In a world full of bullies, predators, and people trying to tell her who she was, or who she should be, it was crucial for Gershon to become an AlphaPussy: a woman who navigates through this perilous jungle of a world with personal agency and responsibility.

Unearth the extraordinary contributions Mary Morland made to 19th-century paleontology by pursuing her passion in spite of society’s expectations in this “delightful” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) picture book biography with a question-and-answer structure perfect for reading aloud.

While other little girls were sipping tea perched on their chairs, Mary Morland was given the freedom to spend her time outside exploring. After her mother died, her father sent her to live with a professor who taught Mary how to examine plants, animals, rocks, and fossils. She soaked up all the knowledge she could and captured her discoveries in her journals. Mary continued studying and drawing fossils into adulthood, becoming a prominent fossil hunter whose finds impressed leading scientists of the day.

Eventually, Mary bonded with William Buckland, England’s best fossilist, over their love of paleontology, and the two got married. Together, they introduced the world to Megalosaurus, the first dinosaur that lived on land. At the time, William received credit for their accomplishments while Mary worked from the shadows. This book shines a spotlight on Mary, celebrating her irrepressible spirit, her unconventional life, and her endless enthusiastic pursuit of prehistoric knowledge.

A brilliant, colourful and funny counting book with one very opinionated ant at the centre...

Just how many animals can fit in this book? Ant will tell you loud and clear: the answer is ONE. But will Ant mind if other animals join the pages, too? 'How Many Animals Can Fit in this Book?' cleverly shows that there is enough room for everyone--while acknowledging that, sometimes, we may need our own space.

For fans of Odder and Skunk and Badger comes a heartwarming story of an unlikely friendship between a gull and a badger.



Septimus is not good at being a badger. He adores the sunset. He dreams of going to Venice. And he lives alone in a charming cottage by the sea. He's not unhappy with his tidy, solitary life, but there are times when being so bad at badgerdom makes him wonder if he's even a badger at all.



When a gull of very few words lands on the windowsill, Septimus leaps at the possibility of friendship. However, his new confidant soon goes missing and Septimus is bereft. Determined to find his best--and only--friend, he ventures into new territory and encounters a cast of surprising characters. Can Septimus be as brave and bighearted as he'll need to be to find Gully? Or is he really a bad badger after all?



Bad Badger is a young middle-grade novel about badgers, gulls, and learning that staying true to yourself means knowing who you are to begin with.

Emily Dickinson is one of America’s greatest and most original poets of all time. When you hear her name, you may imagine the famous recluse whose withdrawal from society became legendary. But it’s time to meet a new side of Emily, one that is powerful, adventurous, and joyful. 

Follow along as we delve into Emily Dickinson’s childhood, revealing a young girl desperate to go out exploring—to meet the flowers in their own homes. Wade through tall grasses to gather butterfly weed and goldenrod, the air alive with the “buccaneers of buzz.” And, don’t forget to keep a hot potato in your pocket to keep your fingers warm.

This is Emily Dickinson as you’ve never seen her before, embarking on an unforgettable journey in her hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts, with her trusty four-legged companion, Carlo.

For fans of the witty and evocative writing of Anne Helen Petersen and Amanda Montell, a sharply clever exploration of what it means to be a “bad mom” by delving into the world of momfluencers, stage moms, trad wives, and more. 

We all have an idea what it means to be a good mom: little screen time, kids hitting their milestones, endless patience and understanding, and self-sacrifice on behalf of one’s children. But what does it mean to be a “bad mom” in modern society? Women as wide-ranging as Meghan Markle, Hannah Neelman (of Ballerina Farm), and anyone giving birth over forty, have been labeled “bad moms.” In a world where the rules are constantly changing, it feels like women simply cannot win.

With this in mind, in her first book, Ej Dickson takes a sharp, provocative look at one of society’s most polarizing labels: the “bad mom.” What makes a mother “bad,” and why? Through the lens of pop culture and American history, Ej Dickson explores how this trope has evolved—from Victorian “angels in the house” to the infamous Mommie Dearest, from Instagram influencers like EmRata and Mormon momfluencers to fictional icons like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Each chapter dives into a different archetype of so-called bad motherhood—like the Stage Mom, the Tiger Mom, the MILF, the MLM hun—challenging us to rethink our assumptions about femininity, parenting, and societal expectations. Drawing on insightful analysis and interviews, Dickson unpacks why our culture is obsessed with vilifying moms and how issues of race and class shape these narratives. Are bad moms truly “bad,” or do they simply defy norms we don’t fully understand—or fear?

This isn’t just cultural commentary—it’s a clarion call. Because if we really take a close look, we might find that some of the women we’ve reviled throughout history are due for a reassessment — and in doing so, moms today may take some much-needed pressure off themselves. One Bad Mother invites moms everywhere to stop chasing impossible standards, reclaim their autonomy, and maybe—just maybe—enjoy motherhood for what it is, not what it’s “supposed” to be.

Thoughtful, eye-opening, and downright funny at times, One Bad Mother is a vital exploration of modern motherhood.

A former public defender takes us behind the closed doors of America's criminal courts, revealing how the institutions that claim to protect us are doing the exact opposite—and offering a blueprint for finally fixing it.

“A searing, compassionate, and utterly necessary book that pulls back the curtain with the clarity of a lawyer and the heart of someone who’s seen the criminal legal system’s devastating consequences up close.”—Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow

As Americans, we are told a rose-tinted story about our criminal courts—that these are the hallowed halls of justice, that the purpose of our legal process is to find the truth, and that those who enforce the law are both equitable and heroic. But what if the reality is purposefully obscured to hide something rotten at the system’s core?

In The Price of Mercy, attorney and former public defender Emily Galvin Almanza weaves hard data and unforgettable stories, dark humor and compelling evidence to tell us the truth about what’s really going on behind the closed doors of America’s criminal courts. She shows us how jails actually increase future crime, the dirty tricks police use to make millions in overtime pay, how a man could spend decades in prison because scientists mistook dog hair for his own, the perverse incentives that push prosecutors to seek convictions even when they themselves don’t want to, and how judges may decide cases differently after lunch.

We’ll learn what’s working, too: how public defenders can improve public health and even economic mobility, and how planting more trees can reduce a neighborhood’s murder rates. But a lone defender winning a case won’t change the system. Galvin Almanza argues that we need an engaged public to confront the stark reality of our crime-generating, poverty-entrenching, health-destroying legal apparatus and rebuild it into something that can save our collective present and prevent our future from being torn apart.

Provocative and eye-opening, The Price of Mercy lifts the curtain on the way our laws really operate and presents a path forward for true transformation of the American criminal court system. Justice, and the law itself, is not some static thing. It is something enacted together, decision by decision, in acts of inhumanity or mercy.

"A riveting and thoroughly researched chronicle...reminiscent of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood." --The New York Times Book Review



The gripping story of the Ruby Ridge siege, showing how the historic standoff between federal agents and a white-separatist family set the stage for the conspiracy-laced politics of the Trump era.



"Vivid, frightening, and fascinating...This book blew me away and opened my eyes."--Walter Isaacson, author of The Code Breaker and Elon Musk



On August 21, 1992, shots rang out while federal agents were surveilling a cabin in Boundary County, Idaho as part of an operation to arrest Randy Weaver--a reclusive, mountain-dwelling survivalist--for failure to appear in court on a gun charge. When Weaver finally surrendered to the authorities eleven days later, his wife, son, and dog lay dead, as did a US Marshal. Ever since, America has been trying to make sense of what happened on Ruby Ridge. Today, the question could not be more urgent, as the shock waves from Ruby Ridge have amplified and compounded, cracking the very foundations of our democracy. 



In End of Days, Chris Jennings explains the significance of this historic siege by setting the story of the Weaver family within the long history of apocalyptic Christianity in the United States, illuminating the ways in which that faith has gradually transformed the nation. The strain of doomsday Christianity that gripped the Weavers, he shows, was grounded in a particular reading of biblical prophecy that can be traced back to the 1870s and up through the twentieth-century rise of Christian fundamentalism to the right-wing conspiracism that now defines American society and politics. The events at Ruby Ridge acted as an accelerant for this spreading worldview, and are essential to understanding the crisis that our nation confronts today.

His final warning: Don't take the job. Just run.

Curt Hinton and Angel Reddish are like a Hollywood buddy flick come to life: former college roommates turned lifelong best friends who always have each other's backs. So when Angel offers Curt the chance to leave his job at a failing newspaper and take a lucrative position as head of corporate communications at Balco, the Bay Area Logistics Company, Curt takes the leap.

Nothing bad can happen with Angel at his side.

That illusion is shattered on Curt's first day at Balco, when he learns that Angel was killed the night before during a carjacking. Tasked with writing a press release about the crime, Curt quickly discovers the carjacking wasn't random--it was a targeted attack by professional killers.

Who would murder Angel? And why? The Oakland Police don't have any answers. Neither does the FBI. As Curt is drawn into the mystery of his best friend's death, he discovers there are many possible suspects--and that there's a lot more danger swirling around his new employer than he could have ever imagined.

Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Jodi Picoult

This deluxe hardcover edition will feature stenciled edges and illustrated endpapers.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone comes a brand-new college town raunch-com about a sexy single dad professor and a feisty law school grad turned nanny in this steamy tale of Academic Affairs...

Class is in session.

Maddie Kowalczk is ready to be a bad girl. When the rookie lecturer lands at Astra University, she's looking to start fresh after a messy breakup. But her first night in town takes a twist when she bumps into Bram Loe--a reserved but incredibly handsome single dad she (not so accidentally) stole a parking spot from earlier that day. The unspoken chemistry as he locks eyes with her while she gets a birthday spanking at a local bar is hotter than a Bunsen burner at full flame.

Bram is looking for a break from his hectic life as an ecology professor and dad to rambunctious twins and a busy teenager. So when his college friend's divorce celebration brings him face-to-face with the same delectable brat who stole his parking spot, he's ready for a night to remember. But the next morning, Bram's world turns upside down (and that's not just the hangover talking). His new nanny? None other than Maddie, who also happens to be the new poli-sci adjunct at the university where he teaches.

Maddie is desperate and broke, so when Bram offers her a raise and the chance to set some ground rules, she can't say no. As the two settle into their new roles, the normally unruffled Bram finds that no one riles him up like Maddie does, which is a problem when every argument feels like foreplay. Of course, Bram is an educator first and foremost, and he very quickly finds he can't resist the temptation of instructing Maddie in the fundamentals of being a good girl.

And it turns out Maddie's a hands-on learner...

TROPES

• Single Dad
• Nanny x Boss
• Small Town Romance
• "Light Academia"

Nicole Glover delivers the second book in her exciting Murder & Magic series of historical fantasy novels featuring Hetty Rhodes and her husband, Benjy, magic practitioners and detectives living in post-Civil War Philadelphia

Nothing bothers Hetty and Benjy Rhodes more than a case where the answers, motives, and the murder itself feel a bit too neat. Raimond Duval, a victim of one of the many fires that have erupted recently in Philadelphia, is officially declared dead after the accident, but Hetty and Benjy's investigation points to a powerful Fire Company known to let homes in the Black community burn to the ground. Before long, another death breathes new life into the Duval investigation: Raimond's son, Valentine, is also found dead.

Finding themselves with the dubious honor of taking on Valentine Duval as their first major funeral, it becomes clear that his passing was intentional. Valentine and his father's deaths are connected, and the recent fires plaguing the city might be more linked to recent community events than Hetty and Benji originally thought.

The Undertakers continues the adventures of murder and magic, where even the most powerful enchantments can't always protect you from the ghosts of the past . . .

Harriet Morrow, a spunky, bike-riding, independent, lesbian P.I. in turn-of-the-20th century Chicago, is back on the case in this brilliant historical mystery inspired by a real-life Windy City detective – from the acclaimed author of the Anthony, Agatha, Macavity, and Lefty Award-nominated Devil’s Chew Toy. For fans of Lev AC Rosen, Ashley Weaver, and Stephen Spotswood.

Chicago, 1898. In the midst of the Progressive Era, twenty-one-year-old junior detective Harriet Morrow is determined to prove she’s more than a lucky hire as the Prescott Agency’s first woman operative. But her latest challenge—a murder case steeped in scandal—could become a deadly setback . . .

As the Windy City thaws from a harsh winter, Harriet Morrow finds herself doubting her investigative skills when she’s assigned to solve a high-stakes murder case well above her pay grade. And there’s also a catch. Harriet must somehow blend in as an “unremarkable” young woman—one who feels confident in skirts, not men’s clothing—on a quest to infiltrate the immigrant community at the center of the grisly crime . . .

The mystery has more twists and turns than her morning bike commute, with a muckraker found murdered in a southside tenement building after obtaining evidence of a powerful politician’s corruption. While Harriet gains the trust of the tenement’s women residents to gather clues, the undercover mission reveals an innocent mother might have been framed for the crime—and exposes ties to another violent death . . . 

Harriet soon realizes she has few allies as new dangers explode around her. Enlisting the help of Matthew McCabe, her only true confidante at the agency, and growing more protective of her budding relationship with the lovely Barbara Wozniak, Harriet will need to survive rising threats to assert her place in a world that’s quick to dismiss her—and out a killer who’s always one step ahead . . .

Ever want to kill your partner? Join the club! Three ex-wives band together to murder their evil husband and wind up in the business of killing the worst of humanity. A darkly humorous suspense, with a heartwarming LGBTQ+ romance, perfect for fans of Elle Cosimano, Joanna Wallace, and Katy Brent.

What do you do when you realize you married a horrible man?
Kill him of course!

For Meg (wife #1), Jenny (#2), and Amelia (#3), the term 'a woman scorned' isn't strong enough. They want more than revenge for the years of their life they wasted with their pitiful excuse for a husband. They want him dead.

As they carry out their lethal plan, they soon realize they're thinking too small. What about all the other men (and women) who cause immeasurable suffering and get away with it?

Thus 'the business' is born. A dazzling new female-owned venture that will change the course of their lives--and shorten many others! And, for Meg and Jenny, it could allow them to experience a love they never thought possible . . .

A laugh out loud, feminist revenge story with horror elements. Readers will be clamoring for more from Mette Ivie Harrison.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Sioux's harrowing reality TV ordeal cuts deep, and her subsequent self-assurance is endearing and infectious. It adds up to an inspiring account of reclaiming artistic agency." - Publisher's Weekly

When you've been told over and over that you belong at the bottom, how do you come out on top Dance Moms star and triple threat Nia Sioux shows the way via her story of resilience, triumph, and defining success for herself.

Young dancer Nia Sioux was only nine years old when she stepped into stardom as one of the original cast members of Lifetime's reality TV show Dance Moms. Nia learned new choreography week after week and competed against dancers from across the country as well as at her own studio. Perhaps her greatest obstacle was suffering through her dance teacher's ranking of the girls against each other in her infamous pyramid, where Nia spent the majority of her time on the bottom--all in front of an audience of millions.

But there was much that viewers didn't see. How her experiences in the studio went far beyond what made it into the show. How she was ostracized for not fitting into an aesthetic that wasn't designed for girls like her. How her friendships and her mental health crumbled under the strain of the show. How she lost control of her story and her voice.

But don't be fooled--this is a story about resilience. Nia is not looking for pity, sympathy, or validation as she reflects on her experiences. Instead, she is choosing to use her story as a celebration of triumph. Nia finally gets to tell her story in her own way and in her own words. In this captivating memoir, Nia reclaims both the spotlight and her narrative.

In addition to going behind the scenes of the seven seasons of Dance Moms, she shows how she fought against the negative perceptions that dominated her tween and teen years and emerged as a confident young woman secure in her talents and her direction. Anyone who has ever felt misunderstood, overlooked, or stuck at the bottom of the pyramid will be inspired by Nia's story of overcoming. "Despite barriers and constant naysayers, assumptions and criticisms, only you know who you are inside and out," Nia says. "And you have the power to create your own narrative, your own level of success."

Horror movie buff Charley Ryan isn't expecting much when she's enrolled at a girls' boarding school on a remote island. That is, until someone starts killing off the senior class. From elaborate scare tactics to severed heads in fridges, these gruesome murders are straight out of Charley's favorite films. To top it off, she's also seeing the ghosts of her former classmates.



No one's surprised when Charley's taste in movies makes her the prime suspect. Determined to clear her name, she sets out to find the killer before her campus becomes more graveyard than school. She's equipped only with her encyclopedic knowledge of horror cinema and the help of her trusty cinephile best friend, Olive--oh, and those pesky ghosts, if they can shut up long enough to lend a helping hand.



With a plot twist sure to make you SCREAM, this is an addictive love letter of a slasher that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Fable meets The Magicians in New York Times bestselling author Jen Calonita’s second Enchanters novel with the untold story of fan favorite fairy, Tinker Bell.

Before the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell ran with a different crowd—an anxious pirate, an apathetic mermaid, an enthusiastic shapeshifter, and the adventurous Tiger Lily. The one thing they all have in common? They’ve noticed strange and disturbing occurrences around the island. Wildlife is disappearing. The weather is volatile. Pockets of land are scorched. Could Never Land be dying?

Tink ventures off to London in search of answers. While stranded there by the rain, she spends time with the most curious humans—James, a young inventor whose passion rivals her own; and Peter, a charismatic storyteller. And she grows attached to the orphans James and Peter look after at the boys’ hospital. 

Wondering if they can help each other, Tink takes the boys back to Never Land—where a perfect storm awaits. Power-hungry pirates, betrayal, heartbreak, and an unforgiving ticking clock. Soon Tink must forge a new path and imagine a new future for Never Land . . . or lose everything she’s grown to love.

Filled with adventure, intrigue, and romance, Tinker Bell explores what happened before once upon a time….

A sweet meet-cute or a scheme destined to turn sour? Fake dating, family drama, and foodie fun combine in this YA paperback original, perfect for fans of Lynn Painter and Emma Lord.

Valeria Morales' senior year is not off to a great start. Her twin brother Adrian isn't talking to her, she's realizing all of her friends were actually his friends, and now she's failing math. Enter Gage Magnussen. Gage isn't looking to take on any tutoring gigs now that his standing as valedictorian is at risk after letting a catastrophic breakup distract him--not to mention his demanding parents expect Gage to coordinate their yearly charity auction alongside his cheating ex. So Valeria offers him a deal: If he helps her pass, she'll take over event planning AND pretend to be his girlfriend. A win-win-win!

But as their study sessions move to deep conversations and their fake dates begin feeling realer and realer, is it possible the lemons they've been dealt will turn to lemonade? Or will this arrangement only sting?

The next evolution in storytelling from New York Times bestselling, Newbery Medal Winning author Erin Entrada Kelly!

Twelve-year-old Lila has two goals for the summer:

1. Win back the friends who ditched her for being "too dramatic"

2. Stop being so dramatic

But then Lila's estranged Grandpa Clem dies, throwing a wrench in her plans. Now she'll have to spend the summer in Ohio while her parents decide what to do with Grandpa Clem's creepy Victorian Inn. It's supremely unfair. How can she show off the "new and improved" Lila from so far away?

Even worse, strange things keep happening. En route to Ohio, the family gets into a scary car accident. No one's hurt, but the remainder of the trip is... odd. At every rest stop, Lila sees people in weird old-fashioned clothes. People no one else can see or hear...

Lila convinces herself it's just her overactive imagination until the day of the funeral when she spots an old man sitting in her grandfather's favorite chair. She does a double take -- it's him, Grandpa Clem. He tells Lila that he didn't die of a heart attack: he was murdered. Possibly by someone who wants to control the inn. Because it's not a normal bed & breakfast: it's a portal between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. A hotel for ghosts passing onto the afterlife.

With the help of her skeptical brother, Caleb, and their new ghost-obsessed neighbor, Teddy, Lila -- the girl who's vowed to be less dramatic -- must uncover her grandfather's killer AND stop the evil spirits desperate to make their way back into the human world.

Enter the world of The Last Resort! Ghosts from the story will emerge from the pages of the book, allowing readers to talk to spirits from the past and help solve the mystery!

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • What if being famous was the most dangerous thing you ever did? #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Natasha Preston is back with a twisted tale of social media, secrets, and survival.

SOMEONE IS ALWAYS WATCHING. 

Connie never asked to be famous—but thanks to her mother’s relentless vlogging, she and her sister Isla have spent their lives under a virtual microscope. Every smile, every moment curated for clicks. Every stranger online thinking they know them. 

Then local girls—girls who look just like Connie—start dying. One by one. As the bodies pile up and the spotlight turns sinister, Connie is forced to confront the terrifying truth: someone isn’t just watching. They’re planning.

The must-have guide to creating tiny, special, homemade presents for anyone you love! From popular TikTok crafter @Lauraleii.



Whether you're a crafting newbie or a DIY dynamo, Nifty Gifty shows you how easy it is to make sweet and joyful miniature crafts that you can gift to anyone in your life (or just to yourself, because you deserve it). Featuring 20 charming crafts anyone would love to receive, including:

• Strawberry Trinket Dishes
• Cowboy Boot Matchboxes
• Mushroom Picture Holders
• Mint Tin Wallets
• Embroidered Bag Charms
• And much more!

Includes a quick guide to all the supplies you'll need to create the gifts in the book and hot tips on entry-level crafting techniques, how to host a crafting night, how to sell your gifts, and more. These whimsical and colorful gifts are as fun to make as they are to give, so dive into this clever activity book and get crafting!



KICKSTART A NEW AND EASY HOBBY: These crafting techniques are very user-friendly, including air-dry clay, simple sewing, painting, beading, and decoupage. Each craft is easy to adapt to the giftee's tastes and includes handy step-by-step photographs to guide you seamlessly.



CRAFT NIGHT HOSTING: No prior crafting experience is required to make these mini gifts, so you can easily gather up all your friends and use this book to host a fun and creative craft night. 



SO MANY GIFT IDEAS: Need inspiration for a last-minute gift? Want to make all your holiday gifts by hand? Nifty Gifty is your guide to making lots of quick and unique crafts that are perfect for gifting (or keeping!). It also makes a great present for a crafty friend or loved one--pair it with some crafting supplies to create a super-fun starter set.



Perfect for:

• Crafters looking for inspiration
• Galentine's or Valentine's Day gift seekers
• Anyone from tweens and teens to adults looking to get into crafting
• Analog activity for boosting creativity, destressing, or enjoying screen-free fun solo or with friends

A provocative, personal, blazingly intelligent examination of one of the most vexing questions facing the United States today: Who is, and should be, a citizen?

“[A] fascinating, urgently needed new book.”—Chicago Tribune

“How did ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ turn upside down to where we are today? Everyone needs to read this book, citizens and non-citizens alike. Brilliant!”—Sandra Cisneros

“The most comprehensive book on citizenship/immigration I’ve ever read. A must-read!”—Javier Zamora

“The book I have always wanted to read.”—Jose Antonio Vargas

“Personal, profound, engaging, and comprehensive . . . this is an essential book for these contentious times.”—Booklist (starred review)

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR: Chicago Review of Books, Autostraddle, Publishers Lunch

In this one-of-a-kind book, Daisy Hernández fiercely interrogates one of the most complicated subjects of contemporary life and politics: citizenship. Braiding memoir, history, and cultural criticism, she exposes the truths and lies of how we define ourselves as a country and a people. Turning to her own family’s stories—her mother arrived from Colombia, while her father was a political refugee from Castro’s Cuba—Hernández shows how the very idea of citizenship is a myth, one of the stories we tell ourselves about the American soul and psyche.

Reframing our understanding of what it means to be an American, Citizenship is an urgent and necessary account of the laws, customs, and language we use to include and exclude, especially those who come from Latin America. With her scholar’s mind and memoirist’s gift for narrative, Hernández weaves a story both personal and national, while reckoning with our country’s ongoing debate about who belongs and providing fresh ways of thinking about citizenship. At once bracing, fearless, and tender, Citizenship is a powerful portrait of one family’s experiences in the borderlands of citizenship and an honest illumination of the country in which we live.

In 1922, a young Agatha Christie, still at the dawn of her literary career, received an incredible opportunity. Britain was preparing for a grand festival - the British Empire Exhibition - to be held in Wembley in 1924. But such an ambitious event needed planning, and Agatha and her husband, Archie, were asked to help. Would they like to travel to different parts of the Empire to assist in its preparation? Naturally, their answer was a resounding yes.



Nearly a century later, the legendary Sir David Suchet and his wife Sheila were invited to retrace Agatha's remarkable journey. In Travels with Agatha Christie, Suchet - renowned for his iconic portrayal of Hercule Poirot - follows in Agatha's footsteps, visiting the diverse landscapes of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and Canada. With his trademark charm and warmth, and insightful reflections, David not only explores the enduring legacy of the British Empire but also uncovers the profound impact these travels had on a young Agatha Christie, shaping her future as the Queen of Crime.



Rich with personal anecdotes, David's own stunning photography and fascinating history, Travels with Agatha Christie offers a fresh, intimate look at the woman behind the distinguished mysteries. Through David's eyes, we gain a deeper understanding of Agatha's early writing, her love for adventure and the lasting influence of her travels on her creative journey. A captivating blend of history, travel and personal insight, this book reveals a side of Agatha Christie that few know.

"[A] standout board book series starter. . . .Minimalism motors toward an expansive experience in this smart work that puts youngest readers in the driver's seat." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

From Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen comes the first board book in the Your Things series for the youngest of children.

Your truck is red, but it could be other colors too. It can carry things around, like a chair and table, a dog, or a horse. It will wait for you until you tell it to go, then it will go wherever you want, as far as you want, whenever you want. At the end of the day it will sleep, and you can sleep, too. Jon Klassen brings his minimalist's touch to a soothing story of a simple object that a child can command and befriend, one that is there whenever the child chooses to visit it. Building on the quiet but evocative world he created in Your Farm, Your Forest, and Your Island, Jon Klassen invites young children to consider more things that are theirs and theirs alone, reinforcing that they have a right to things like solitude, exploration, and companionship.

A funny sci fi comic that's just right for second and third graders!

Tate Tuber has always known he was destined for greatness. A couch potato? Not Tate--he's going to be an astronaut! So when
Tate sees his chance to join space training, he literally jumps at the chance.

But on his first mission, Tate learns that his role doesn't include finding aliens or stopping asteroids. The human astronauts want to use Tate in a space farming experiment. How disappointing! But when the space station loses power and begins hurtling back towards earth, it's up to Tate to save the day with his ability to conduct electricity! Potato power!

In the back of the book are science facts about how potatoes really do conduct electricity, growing veggies in space, and more!

I Like to Read Comics® are perfect for kids who are challenged by or unengaged in reading, kids who love art, and the growing number of young comics fans. Filled with eye-catching art, humor, and terrific stories, these comics provide unique reading experiences for growing minds. I Like to Read Comics®, like their award-winning I Like to Read® counterpart, are created by celebrated artists and support reading comprehension to transform children into lifelong readers. 

We hope that all new readers will say, "I like to read comics!"

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

This limited special paperback edition features gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled artwork.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey is back with an all-new marriage of convenience, friends-to-lovers sports romance about a baseball catcher and the burlesque club owner he can't get out of his head.

Madden Donahue, the newest catcher for the Yankees, has been in love with Eve Mitchell since high school, but for some mysterious reason, the burlesque club owner always turns him down. That never stopped him from being her self-appointed protector. Case in point, now that Eve's sister has left Eve with her two children indefinitely, Madden steps in with a proposition--marry him for the much needed health benefits.

Eve has secretly harbored feelings for Madden all along, but there's one problem--her best friend Skylar called dibs on him when they were fourteen. Eve has always put their friendship above all else, and she's not willing to risk losing Skylar over a man. Raised by the local strip club owner, Eve is woefully short on friends and treasures the ones she has. But with Skylar happily paired off, Eve finds herself accepting Madden's proposal--on the condition that their marriage remains strictly private. She's not about to let her unique profession and maligned reputation destroy Madden's shiny new career.

Madden won't let Eve get away that easily, though. What starts as a marriage of convenience soon ignites into something much hotter, and now it's up to Madden to convince Eve that their connection is far more than a business arrangement. As the passion builds, can their fake marriage become the real deal?

From internationally bestselling author Peter F. Hamilton comes the first in a new, coming of age trilogy where life on a generation ship takes a turn for the worst when the delicate cycle of life is disturbed... A great read for fans of Alastair Reynolds and Miles Cameron.

THEIR LIFE IS A DREAM, THEIR WORLD IS DYING.

Hazel’s family live a simple life in their village. Just one of the communities on a vast generation ship on a centuries long journey to a new world. 500 years ago the machines stopped working and life since then has been frugal. But everyone plays their part. And when you reach 65 you are recycled – it’s only fair; you can’t work anymore and your resources are needed.

But not everyone is happy. Hazel encounters the Cheaters, a group who refuse to die for the ship. They have discovered the terrifying lie at the core of life on the ship and they will fight for the truth and for the lives of everyone.

Hazel has a choice to make…

The game is once again afoot in Vicki Delany’s eleventh Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery, when birthday festivities end in freezing-cold murder.

Gemma Doyle is excited about celebrating Jayne Wilson’s big day. It’s supposed to mark not only the birthday of Jayne, her partner in crime, but also that of the Great Detective himself. Following the festivities at the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, Gemma heads for the Blue Water Café, the site of Jayne’s party. To make things even better, Jayne’s wedding is only a week away. 

But the much-anticipated affair quickly turns to disaster with the presence of the bride and groom’s respective exes in attendance and other unruly guests. With drama at every corner, Gemma and Jayne take a break on the chilly deck overlooking the ocean when they spot the body of a party attendee floating in the water below. 

As Detective Ryan Ashburton takes a closer look at the guest list, Jayne’s wedding is in peril, especially when it is revealed that her fiancé, Andy, is a prime suspect. With the police closing in and more lives on the line, it’s up to Gemma to keep Andy from prison and save Jayne’s wedding day from ruin.

A most anticipated book from Goodreads, Woman's World, Brit + Co, and more!

For fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and In Five Years—a powerful and transportive new novel about a music executive desperately trying to bring a rock band back from the brink, from bestselling author Ashley Winstead.

The best love stories are the ones you don’t expect.

When record executive Theo meets the Future Saints, they’re bombing at a dive bar in their hometown. Since the tragic death of their manager, the band has been in a downward spiral and Theo has been dispatched to coax a new—and successful—album out of them, or else let them go.

Immediately, Theo is struck by Hannah, the group’s impetuous lead singer, who’s gone off script by debuting a whole new sound, replacing their California pop with gut-wrenching rock. When this new music goes viral, striking an unexpected chord with fans, Theo puts his career on the line to give the Saints one last shot at success with a new tour, new record, and new start.

But Hannah’s grief has larger consequences for the group, and her increasingly destructive antics become a distraction as she and her sister Ginny—her lifelong partner in crime—undermine Theo at every turn. Hannah isn’t ready to move on or prepared for the fame she’s been chasing, and the weight of her problems jeopardize the band, her growing closeness with Theo, and, worst of all, her relationship with her sister—all while the world watches closely. The Future Saints’s big break is here—if only they can survive it.

A novel about sisterhood, friendship, and the ghosts that haunt us, The Future Saints is “a mesmerizing look at grief, love, and the music industry that's so raw and emotional, you’ll want to play it on repeat” (Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance).

When Ruby Bixler answers her husband's phone, she doesn't just learn about his affair-she uncovers a web of lies that threatens to destroy everything she holds dear. Brad Diamond, the trusted TV news anchor with the perfect smile, has not only betrayed their marriage but is also scheming to take away the home Ruby painstakingly built into a sanctuary.

Determined not to let Brad's deceit define her, Ruby teams up with her vibrant, no-nonsense best friend, Dottie, to uncover the full truth-and to get even. But revenge isn't just about plotting. It's about rediscovering her self-worth and challenging the timid, people-pleasing version of herself she's always known.

As Ruby navigates the trials of standing up to her husband, facing her overbearing mother, and taking charge at her chaotic workplace, she evolves into a woman stronger and bolder than she ever imagined. Along the way, she learns the most powerful truth of all: taking control of her life is the ultimate act of revenge.

Ruby's Revenge is a darkly humorous and empowering story of betrayal, self-discovery, and triumph. For fans of Liane Moriarty and Taylor Jenkins Reid, Christine Gallagher crafts a tale that's equal parts cathartic and compelling, reminding us all that the best revenge starts within.

It’s time for spring in this companion to the beloved and bestselling classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and the letters peep something hidden up in the tree…

A asked B
and B asked C,
“What’s up there
in the pretty pink tree?”

Everyone’s favorite alphabet crew is ready to hop to the occasion and sniff out the surprise, with the help of some fuzzy new friends. Celebrate springtime in this colorful romp that will have everyone chanting—and hopping!—along.

A little fish has a big surprise in this “excellent…wholly gratifying” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) Level 1 Ready-to-Read story about an underdog under the sea!

The little fish says it is really a big fish. The other fish and sea creatures do not believe the little fish! Then, when they are in danger, the little fish shows just how big it really can be!

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER

Heart Life Music is a love letter to the journey: all the places I've gone and how we got here. This book takes you on the ride.

Knoxville. Moscow. Myrtle Beach. The Virgin Islands. Plentywood, Montana. Holmdel, New Jersey. Key West. New England. The Road. No Shoes Nation. Beyond.
We've had a lot of fun, a bunch of challenges, a few moments of wondering "what the hell?"--and more love than any artist deserves. You're gonna meet so many people, some you'd never expect to see crossing my path, whether it's the Wailers, Willie Nelson, John Madden, or Grace Potter. Maybe you won't be surprised at all. I just know this: A whole lot has happened.
For anyone who's found a piece of your life in any of my songs, this is for you. Open a cold drink, get out on your deck or your boat or wherever your happy space is, jump in, and live them along with me.
And if you've got dreams, whatever they are, know they don't always come easy. But if you believe, do the hard work, and keep coming back, you'd be amazed at what can happen. I'm a pretty average guy, so look at this--know you might could do it, too.
It's been a helluva trip around the sun.
 

Ten Books We are Looking Forward to in Early 2026 —NPR

In 1776, one man’s words—and the determination of American patriots—allowed our nation to survive its first crisis.

"Exemplary... Kelly explains why Paine and his writing mattered 250 years ago and why they matter now." —Booklist (starred)

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence marked the birth of the United States. But two essays of that era appealed even more directly to Americans’ feelings. In January 1776, Thomas Paine—a recent immigrant to America —published Common Sense. His straightforward argument upended the fraud of monarchy and dismantled the idea of aristocratic privilege that had dominated the world for centuries. His words convinced Americans that the king had no divine right to rule them—they could rule themselves. He turned a rebellion over taxes and representation into a true Revolution.

Having inspired patriots to declare their independence, Paine enlisted as a militia private. He saw Washington’s army suffer grievous defeats. He slogged through the mud with retreating troops to Pennsylvania. There, he wrote The American Crisis, the most stirring rallying cry in our history. It began: “These are the times that try men’s souls . . .” With Paine’s words ringing in their ears, Washington and his men crossed the Delaware River and defeated the enemy at Trenton. The battle reversed the fortunes of the campaign and of the Revolution itself. A tribute to the Revolution’s 250th anniversary, Tom Paine’s War is a riveting exploration of our nation’s birth. This is a story of the power of words—and the power of belief—and how both speak as well to America’s current crisis.

"Enchanting, unexpected and razor-sharp. Jeanette Winterson and Shahrazad are the perfect co-pilots to take us into new worlds on the wings of old stories."--Kamila Shamsie, award-winning author of Home Fire

I can change the story because I am the story.

"One of the most daring and inventive writers of our time" (Elle) weaves together memoir, manifesto, and a feminist reimagining of One Thousand and One Nights in this impassioned exploration of the power of reading

A woman is filibustering for her life. Every night she tells a story. Every morning, she lives one more day. One Aladdin Two Lamps cracks open the legendary story of Shahrazad in One Thousand and One Nights to explore new and ancient questions. Who should we trust? Is love the most important thing in the world? Does it matter whether you are honest? What makes us happy?

In her guise as Aladdin--the orphan who changes his world--Jeanette Winterson asks us to reread what we think we know. To look again. Especially to look again at how fiction works in our lives, giving us the courage to change our own narratives and alter endings we wish to subvert. As a young working-class woman, with no obvious future beyond factory work or marriage, Winterson realizes through the power of books that she can read herself as fiction as well as a fact: "I can change the story because I am the story."

An alluring blend of the ancient and the contemporary, One Aladdin Two Lamps ingeniously explores stories and their vital role in our lives. Weaving together fiction, magic, and memoir, Winterson's newest is a tribute to the age-old tradition of storytelling and a radical step into the future--an invitation to look closer at our stories, and thereby ourselves, to imagine the world anew.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Academy Award–winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins delves into his illustrious film and theater career, difficult childhood, and path to sobriety in his honest, moving, and long-awaited memoir.

Born and raised in Port Talbot—a small Welsh steelworks town—amid war and depression, Sir Anthony Hopkins grew up around men who were tough, to say the least, and eschewed all forms of emotional vulnerability in favor of alcoholism and brutality. A struggling student in school, he was deemed by his peers, his parents, and other adults as a failure with no future ahead of him. But, on a fateful Saturday night, the disregarded Welsh boy watched the 1948 adaptation of Hamlet, sparking a passion for acting that would lead him on a path that no one could have predicted.

With candor and a voice that is both arresting and vulnerable, Sir Anthony recounts his various career milestones and provides a once-in-a-lifetime look into the brilliance behind some of his most iconic roles. His performance as Iago gets him admitted into the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and places him under the wing of Laurence Olivier. He meets Richard Burton by chance as a young boy in his art teacher’s apartment, and later, backstage before a performance of Equus as an established actor meeting his hero. His iconic portrayal of Hannibal Lecter was informed by the creepy performance of Bela Lugosi in Dracula and the razor-sharp precision of his acting teacher. He pulls raw emotion from the stoicism of his father and grandfather for an unforgettable performance in King Lear.

Sir Anthony also takes a deeply honest look at the low points in his personal life. His addiction cost him his first marriage, his relationship with his only child, and nearly his life—the latter ultimately propelling him toward sobriety, a commitment he has maintained for nearly half a century. He constantly battles against the desire to move through life alone and avoid connection for fear of getting hurt—much like the men in his family—and as the years go by, he deals with questions of mortality, getting ready to discover what his father called The Big Secret.

Featuring a special collection of personal photographs throughout, We Did OK, Kid is a raw and passionate memoir from a complex, iconic man who has inspired audiences with remarkable performances for over sixty years.

Explore the work of beloved writers from Sojourners magazine on spiritual thriving, living simply, and engaging with our communities.

For five decades, Sojourners magazine has been deeply engaged with the world while calling its readers to a new kind of life and faith rooted in justice and peace. This legacy stands in stark contrast to our culture, which too often links a person's value to the amount they produce or consume, pushing each of us to do and be more, fraying our connections and deadening our souls. As Christian nationalism and authoritarianism gain more and more cultural power, we don't need less soul, but more. We need a more resilient faith that can resist power and principalities and prophetically imagine an alternative world, centered in justice and love. Integral to this kind of prophetic faith is a commitment to simple spiritual practices and communal connections. Even in the most dire and demoralizing times, practices of contemplation, sabbath rest, and community offer sustenance and power.

Light for the Way is a powerful, yet meditative collection of pieces from the last fifty years of Sojourners magazine, exploring how contemplative practices, rest, simplicity, environmental engagement, and communal care are essential for sustaining our resistance and repairing our world. And Sojourners continues that work today. With essays from beloved spiritual writers, including Julia Alvarez, Margaret Atwood, Walter Brueggemann, Kaitlin Curtice, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, and Richard Rohr, Light for the Way is a soulful companion.

Selling the Dream meets Empire of Pain in this shocking, never-told-before story of three women caught in a web of telemarketing scammers, shady doctors, and profit-hungry lawyers who turned fears surrounding a faulty medical device affecting millions of women into a goldmine.

For decades, late-night television has blared a familiar refrain: If you or a loved one has been injured by X product…

But behind those ads lies a lesser-known world where elaborate scams revictimize the injured. Why else would thousands of women with health insurance take out loans with astronomical interest rates and fly to south Florida to have their pelvic mesh surgically removed at a chiropractor’s clinic? 

The Pain Brokers, by law professor Elizabeth Burch, is a damning investigation of a scheme made possible by a medical and legal complex that too often views women’s bodies as cash machines and fails to take their pain seriously. 

As Burch unfurls each level to the scheme, we meet an enthralling cast of characters, from a world class scam artist who reaped tens of millions of dollars at a south Florida call center, to the ultimate white shoe power lawyer who defended Big Pharma but became an unlikely hero, to a newly minted small-town Arkansas attorney who advocated for the unseen and unheard. But at the center are three women, Jerri, Barb, and Sharon, whose lives were upended by the very procedure they were told would save them. 

A page-turning, urgently necessary work of public service journalism, The Pain Brokers is not only a chilling exposé of a legal system gone awry, but a wake-up call to the ways in which it harms those it is meant to help.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A board-certified physician shares her must-have guide to using GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, to reverse obesity and take charge of your health, with established strategies for maximizing your results

“This book is a game-changer. Dr. Salas-Whalen gives you the science and the compassion this conversation has been missing. You are not alone anymore.”—Mel Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Let Them Theory

Whether your struggle to lose weight has lasted years or started more recently, GLP-1 medications will help you finally end it. While GLP-1s have redefined how we treat obesity, the search for expert care is likely to leave you feeling confused, overwhelmed, and unheard. Misconceptions are everywhere. Many doctors are still catching up with the science. And you may find a prescription but not the medical supervision you need for the best results.

In Weightless, Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen, an expert in obesity medicine, delivers the real-world strategies that have helped thousands of patients achieve health goals that once felt out of reach. Her deeply compassionate approach sees obesity, not as a personal failure but as a chronic health condition that deserves medical treatment. Drawing on years of clinical expertise and the lived experience of her patients, she explains how to:

 

• Rethink what you know about weight management: Learn why “eat less, move more” is an outdated and ineffective prescription.
• Give your GLP-1 journey a strong start: Choose an experienced provider, ask the right questions at every appointment, and get better outcomes if you’re using telehealth.
• Preserve muscle for long-term success: Follow Dr. Salas-Whalen’s advice for increasing protein intake and optimizing your strength training.
• Protect your progress: Manage side effects with evidence-based care, recognize when you need a dosage change, and know what to do when GLP-1s don’t work.
• Adjust to life after GLP-1s: Navigate the unexpected physical, social, and psychological changes that accompany significant weight loss.

Comprehensive and empowering, Weightless offers judgment-free support that ensures you never feel alone on this journey.

Mastering the art of mending just requires a few simple hand-sewing techniques which can extend the life of your wardrobe and your favourite clothing.

Stitch it, Don't Ditch It, will guide you through the fundamentals of mending, from the kit you'll need, how to tackle different types of repairs to the core skills covering the common mends that will help you fix 90% of your clothes. Aimed at those with limited or no sewing skills, this book provides step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, including how to thread a needle, replace a button, back stitch a torn seam, rescue ladders and snags in knitwear.

Mary V Morton and Jeanna Wigger shows readers how to choose the appropriate technique for your repair, fabric terminology and the anatomy of garments, making this the ultimate guide to those who want to be less wasteful and more sustainable.

Learn to darn socks, sew on patches, hem trousers, and stop fraying with this ultimate immersive guide to mending for anyone who wants to have a more sustainable style.

From bestselling and award-winning author and professor Elizabeth McCracken comes an irresistible look at the art of writing.

Writing can feel like an endless series of decisions. How does one face the blank page? Move a character around a room? Deal with time? Undertake revision? The good and bad news is that in fiction writing, there are no definitive answers to such questions: writers must come up with their own. Elizabeth McCracken, author of bestselling novels, National Book Award long-listed story collections, and a highly praised memoir, has been teaching for more than thirty-five years, guiding her many students through their own answers.

In A Long Game, she shares insights gleaned along the way, offering practical tips and incisive thoughts about her own work as an artist. The book covers:

 

• Understanding and developing characters
• Plot, and what to do if it eludes you
• Her thoughts on common writing "rules"
• And of course, the Butter Cow Lady of the Iowa State Fair and her work as it relates to revision

Writing "is a long game," she notes. "What matters is that you learn to get work done in the way that is possible for you, through consistency or panic. Through self-recrimination or self-delusion or self-forgiveness: every life needs all three."

As much a book about the life of a working artist as it is a guide to thinking about fiction, A Long Game is a revelatory and indispensable resource for any writer.
 

A provocative, revelatory history of British Romanticism that examines the impact of the transatlantic slave economy on the lives and times of some of our most beloved poets—with urgent lessons for today

"[P]owerful, revelatory. . . . [A]s a writer Nabugodi is warm and witty, her prose both intimate and animated. . . . A masterpiece.” —Kerri Arsenault, The Boston Globe

"One will never look at these poets in quite the same way.” —Michael Gorra, New York Times

A scrap of Coleridge’s handwriting. The sugar that Wordsworth stirred into his teacup. A bracelet made of Mary Shelley’s hair. Percy Shelley’s gilded baby rattle. The death mask preserving Keats’s calm face. Byron’s silk-lined leather boot. Who would have known there could be vast worlds contained in these items? In a completely new interpretation of the Romantics and their context, Whiting Award–winning scholar and literary sleuth Mathelinda Nabugodi uses these items to frame her interrogation of the poets, leading us on an expansive journey through time and memory, situating us in depth of their world, and her own.

“Freedom, liberty, autonomy are the period’s favorite words,” Nabugodi writes. Romantic poets sought truth in the depth of their souls and in the mind’s unbounded regions. Ideals of free speech and human rights were being forged. And yet the period was defined by a relentless commitment to the displacement and stolen labor of millions. Romanticism, she argues, can no longer be discussed without the racial violence with which it was complicit. Still, rather than using this idea to rehash Black pain and subjugation, she mines the archives for instances of resistance, beauty, and joy.

Nabugodi moves effortlessly between the past and present. She takes us into the physical archives and, with startling clarity, unpacks her relationships with them: what they are and should be; who built them; how they are entwined with an industry that was the antithesis of freedom; and how she feels holding the materials needed to write this book, as a someone whose ancestry is largely absent from their ledgers.

The Trembling Hand presents a dazzling new way of reading the past. This transfixing, evocative book reframes not only the lives of the legendary Romantics, but also their poetry and the very era in which they lived. It is a reckoning with art, archives, and academia bound to echo through the conversation for a long time to come.

An exploration of all the ways in which birds are social creatures—from breeding to nesting to babysitting

In The Social Lives of Birds, evolutionary biologist and author of Slow Birding Joan Strassmann examines what it means for birds of a feather to flock together. Some birds sleep together. Some join the foraging groups of other species. Some are only social during breeding season, forming nesting colonies in trees, cliffs, and sandbanks. Some are altruistic, helping to rear young that are not their own. Some males perform mating dances together.

Strassmann explains how flocks provide safety in numbers, roosts offer warmth and shelter, and colonies allow for protected breeding. But group behavior is not without its costs—including increased competition, tick infestations, and more. Strassmann exposes the conflicts birds face and the many ways in which they resolve these conflicts. 

With stories of birds from around the world—from broad-winged hawks that migrate south together in the fall, tree swallows that roost together in the thousands, and guira cuckoos that nest in communes—The Social Lives of Birds explores the different kinds of bird groups and what to look for when watching them. Above all, it reveals this fact: solitary life, it seems, is not for the birds.

For readers of Thomas Piketty, David Graeber, and Jared Diamond: A bold, provocative, wide-ranging argument about the human idea of progress that offers a new vision of our future

Progress is power. Narratives of progress, the stories we tell about whether a society is moving in the right or the wrong direction, are immensely potent. Progress has built cities, flattened mountains, charted the globe, delved the oceans and space, created wealth, opportunity, and remarkable innovation, and ushered in a new epoch unique in our planet’s 4.5-billion-year history.

But the modern story of progress is also a very dangerous fiction. It shapes our sense of what progress means, and justifies what we will do to achieve it—no matter the cost. We continue to subscribe to a set of myths, about dominion, growth, extraction, and expansion, that have fueled our success, but now threaten our—and all species’-- existence on a planet in crisis.

In Progress, geographer Samuel Miller McDonald offers a radical new perspective on the myths upon which the modern world is built, illuminating its destructive lineage and suggesting an urgent alternative. Drawing on interdisciplinary research across anthropology, history, philosophy and geography, McDonald argues that if humanity is to thrive, then we must dismantle, reimagine, and create anew what progress means.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection



Kids can perfect their cake-decorating skills and develop their creativity​ with these adorable and delicious cupcake designs. 



With step-by-step photos for every stage of the process, bakers ages 8 and up will learn how to create stunning cupcake masterpieces from scratch. This unique format is as simple as 1, 2, 3:



1. Start with the easy-to-follow recipes for the Best-Ever Vanilla or Chocolate Cupcake base and simple buttercream frosting.

2. Learn impressive decorating techniques, like using a piping bag, working with fondant, and creating 3D designs with candy. 

3. Put your new skills into practice with detailed instructions for fun designs, including sloths, mermaids, funny faces, and more!



Bestselling children's baking authors Deanna Cook and Joy Howard share tips, tricks, and creative designs that are perfect for birthday parties, holidays, bake sales, and every day! Stickers and punch-out cardstock decorations for making cupcake toppers are also included in this kid-friendly cookbook.

Explore the Milky Way in the sixth book in this nonfiction Level 1 Ready-to-Read series about the universe that’s perfect for kids who love science and space!

Earth lies within the solar system that is part of a spiral galaxy: the Milky Way. Readers can learn all about the galaxy we live in with this out-of-this-world Level 1 Ready-to-Read.

Elmore Leonard meets Robert Ludlum in a rollicking comedic thriller set in 1985 from acclaimed author Ace Atkins, in which a suburban teen suspects his mom's new boyfriend is the ultimate bad guy--a KGB agent.

It's 1985, what will soon become known as "The Year of the Spy," and fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett is convinced his mom's new boyfriend is a Russian agent. "Gary" isn't in the phone book, has an unidentifiable European accent, and keeps a gun in the glove box of his convertible Porsche. Peter thinks Gary only wants to get close to his mom because she works at Scientific Atlanta, a lab with big government contracts. But who is going to believe him? He's just a kid into BMX and MTV.

But after another woman who works at the lab is killed, Peter recruits an unlikely pair of allies--a has-been pulp writer and muckraker named Dennis Hotchner and his drag performer buddy and heavy, Jackie Demure. Both soon become the target of an unhinged Russian hitman (Is it Gary? Maybe!) with a serious Phil Collins obsession.

Meanwhile, Sylvia Weaver, a young, Black FBI agent, investigates Scientific Atlanta in the wake of the employee's murder and discovers a nest of Russian spies in the Southern "city too busy to hate." Little does she know her investigation is being thwarted by a seriously compromised colleague in Washington, D.C., who is in league with a lovesick, hypochondriac KGB defector who is playing both sides of the Cold War to his benefit.

As Ronald Reagan and Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev prepare for a historic nuclear summit in Geneva, what happens in Atlanta might change the course of the Cold War, the twentieth century, and Peter Bennett's freshman year of high school.