Celestial Lights

by Cecile Pin

Henry Holt and Co./Macmillan

   Where do you draw the line when you have a duty to family but also see a larger one? This is a thought-provoking and moving story of one man's attempt to find peace with his decisions. It's about family, friendships and several levels of betrayals.  A very good read dealing with issues that resonate with our difficult times.

If you would like to know more about, or own this book, please check with your local independent bookstore or this great place: bookshop.org. 

Transcription: a Novel 

by Ben Lerner

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

    There has been a great deal of hype about this book. I was prepared to find something self-conscious and pretentious. Instead, it's a thoughtful look at parenting, memories, truth, friendships and much more. It will give you much to think about. And much to enjoy.

If you would like to know more about, or own this book, please check with your local independent bookstore or this great place: bookshop.org. 

Lost Lambs: a Novel

by Madeline Cash

FSG/Macmillan

    A wonderfully irreverent, funny and surprisingly heartfelt story of a quirky family who are all trying very hard. None of them are anywhere near perfect, but the story is very close to it. It is a lovely escape from our real world and includes domestic terrorism, blood theft and other unexpected pieces that come together into a satisfying whole. 

    You don't want to miss this one - I think we all need it right now.

If you would like to know more about, or own this book, please check with your local independent bookstore or this great place: bookshop.org. 

The Typewriter and the Guillotine

by Mark Braude

Grand Central Publishing/Hachette 

  

    The serial killer in Paris is the dullest part of this amazing book. Braude covers Janet Flanner as she writes dispatches, mostly from Paris, for The New Yorker during the time just before WWII. Her life, her loves, her appreciation for not just the facts of pre-War Paris, but for the feeling of it, make for a fascinating addition to what we know of this difficult, dreadful time. The New Yorker editors are fun to read as they are torn between caring for her safety and caring for her work.

If you would like to know more about, or own this book, please check with your local independent bookstore or this great place: bookshop.org. Pre-order it!

Drayton and Mackenzie

by Alexander Starritt

Atlantic Monthly Press/Grove/Atlantic Inc.

pub date 6/2/2026

      This is such a great, moving, lifetime of a book. Two young men meet in school and end up partners in an ambitious, brave business. Sounds simple, but you get to know and care very much for both of them - their humor, their errors and especially their concern for each other. It's a big tome and worth every word of it. 

If you would like to know more about, or own this book, please check with your local independent bookstore or this great place: bookshop.org. Pre-order it!