View the Slideshow of 2018 Best Books

Fiction

Atkins, Lucy. The Night Visitor.

Quercus. ISBN 9781681440224. THRILLER
New novelist Olive versus Vivian, the researcher who knows her secrets, in this tale of hubris and deception with a shocking finale. Dripping with suspense, violence, and a bit of the supernatural, this psychological thriller fits alongside the works of Ruth Ware and Gillian Flynn. (LJ 7/18)

Berney, Lou. November Road.

Morrow. ISBN 9780062663849. THRILLER
In the wake of the Kennedy assassination, two desperate people flee their circumstances. Frank Guidry, a fixer for the mob, realizes he’s a disposable target after dropping a getaway car in Dallas. Charlotte Ray leaves a broken marriage. Their paths converge in a dramatic story with unforgettable, complicated characters. This beautifully written crime novel has “depth and genre crossover appeal.” (LJ 9/1/18)

Clark, Tracy. Broken Places.

Kensington. ISBN 9781496714879. MYS
Clark’s action-packed debut introduces African American Chicago cop–turned–PI Cass Raines. When Cass’s surrogate father, a local priest, is found dead in his church alongside a gangbanger, she blames herself. The vividly written characters are led by Cass, a gutsy character reminiscent of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone. (LJ 5/1/18)

Fredericks, Mariah. A Death of No Importance.

Minotaur: St. Martin’s. ISBN 9781250152978. MYS
Fredericks’s adult mystery debut confronts the social issues and class inequities of early 20th-century New York. Years after the 1910 murder of high-society ne’er-do-well Norrie Newsome, Jane Prescott recalls the case from her perspective as maid to Norrie’s fiancée and her nouveau riche family. (LJ 2/1/18)

French, Tana. The Witch Elm.

Viking. ISBN 9780735224629. SUSPENSE
When a skeleton is found inside a tree in the yard of the house where Toby and his cousins spent youthful summers, Toby is forced to question everything he knows. French’s first stand-alone novel considers memory, privilege, and the unseen ripples of thoughtless actions. It’s both an in-depth character study and a cracking yarn. (LJ 9/15/18)

Lippman, Laura. Sunburn.

Morrow. ISBN 9780062389923. SUSPENSE
Two seemingly lost souls with secrets and motives aplenty meet in a scruffy Delaware town in Lippman’s modern noir. Lippman tops herself once again, with nuanced, well-drawn characters, a twisty doom-laden plot, and, of course, Baltimore and its environs. Her best novel so far—and that’s saying a lot! (LJ 10/1/17)

Loewenstein, Laurie. Death of a Rainmaker.

Kaylie Jones: Akashic. ISBN 9781617756795. MYS
The Depression and a 240-day-long dry spell drive the desperate townspeople of Vermillion, OK, to hire a rainmaker, but he’s murdered, leaving sheriff Temple Jennings to investigate. Loewenstein’s terrific historical mystery wears its history lightly and its humanity beautifully. The first in a series, it’s a realistic, expertly drawn novel with characters you’ll come to love. (LJ 10/1/18)

Mukherjee, Abir. A Necessary Evil.

Pegasus Crime. ISBN 9781681776712. MYS
In 1920s Calcutta, Sgt. Banerjee and Capt. Sam Wyndham investigate when a crown prince is assassinated. This atmospheric mystery establishes a strong sense of place through the life of a wealthy maharaja, as well as other details of Indian culture and tradition. (LJ 2/1/18)

Nakamura, Fuminori. Cult X.

Soho Crime. ISBN 9781616957865. MYS
Toru is searching for his missing girlfriend Ryoko, but his only lead is a quiet compound belonging to an eccentric Buddhist guru. He joins the group only to find that some members have splintered into a darker sect known as Cult X. Inspired by the 1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo, Nakamura offers a provocative look into the world of extremist beliefs in modern culture. (LJ 5/1/18)

Siger, Jeffrey. An Aegean April.

Poisoned Pen. ISBN 9781464209451. MYS
Mihalis Volandes had a plan to deal humanely with the refugees passing through the Greek island of Lesvos, but the human traffickers who profit from them have other plans. When Mihalis is murdered, the crime is blamed on a refugee, and CI Andreas Kaldis must catch the real culprit. This topical page-turner vividly depicts the political and economic issues involved in the European refugee crisis. (LJ 1/18)

Committee: Liz French, Lesa Holstine, Stephanie Klose

Hendrix, Grady. We Sold Our Souls.

Quirk. ISBN 9781683690122.
It’s the 1990s and heavy metal rules the rock world. Lead singer Terry Hunt leaves his band, reimagines himself as a solo artist named Koffin, and becomes a superstar. Twenty years later, his bandmates, including guitarist Kris Pulaski, toil away in relative obscurity. Then Kris discovers something shockingly evil and sets out to reunite the band. Hendrix cranks the satire and chills to 11 in this hard-rocking story. (LJ 8/18)

Ortberg, Daniel Mallory. The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror.

Holt. ISBN 9781250113429.
With wicked humor and skillful prose, Ortberg pens a delightfully chilling collection of retold fairy tales, folklore, and biblical stories. From intersectional reimaginings of “The Little Mermaid” and “The Frog Prince” to smart nods to classic children’s works, each eerie tale packs a surprising punch.

Saadawi, Ahmed. Frankenstein in Baghdad.

Penguin. ISBN 9780143128793.
A Man Booker Prize finalist, winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, and France’s Grand Prize for Fantasy, Saadawi’s modern horror story combines the classic elements of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the over-the-top gore and humor of 1980s B movies with the sobering reality of contemporary Iraq. An unforgettable and unsettling tale. (LJ 11/1/17)

Stage, Zoje. Baby Teeth.

St. Martin’s. ISBN 9781250170750.
Seven-year-old Hanna silently connives to kill her mother so she can have dear daddy all to herself. Mom Suzette alternates between feelings of revulsion and guilt, desperate to connect with her daughter but increasingly terrified of her. With echoes of The Bad Seed and We Need To Talk About Kevin, this macabre psychological thriller dives deep into the dark side of motherhood. (LJ 4/1/18)

Stoker, Dacre & J.D. Barker. Dracul.

Putnam. ISBN 9780735219342.
The great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker and best-selling author Barker team up to deliver a Dracula prequel. Bram takes center stage as the protagonist whose life was altered by a strange nanny named Ellen Crone who cured him of a debilitating childhood illness. Now an adult, Bram and his siblings are on the hunt for the ageless Ellen and the terrifying villain at the heart of this family mystery. (LJ 9/15/18)

Tremblay, Paul. The Cabin at the End of the World.

Morrow. ISBN 9780062679109.
In this nail-biting work of psychological horror, seven-year-old Wen is vacationing at a remote cabin with her dads when a group of menacing strangers with weapons and a bizarre story arrive. Tremblay’s sharp and unflinching view of human violence will shake readers to their core. (LJ 3/15/18)

Committee: Kiera Parrott, Becky Spratford

Ackerman, Elliot . Waiting for Eden.

Knopf. ISBN 9781101947395.
Not surprisingly, veteran Ackerman decisively pinpoints the horror of war as he shows soldier Eden Malcom lying speechless and immobilized in a hospital bed, with wife Mary sitting determinedly by and the whole narrated by a fellow soldier who didn’t make it back. What really surprises—brilliantly—is the story of these three people that emerges. (LJ 9/1/18)

Cassara, Joseph. The House of Impossible Beauties.

Ecco: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062676979.
Angel, who refuses to feel trapped in her “boy body”; her beloved Hector, an early AIDS victim; Barbie-hugging Thomas, who as Venus both saves and is saved by runaway Daniel—these are among the indelible characters chronicling the House of Xtravaganza, the first all-Latino house on the Harlem Ball circuit. Grittily luscious prose; a triumphant debut. (LJ 8/18)

Clement, Jennifer. Gun Love.

Hogarth:
Crown. ISBN 9781524761684.
A 1994 Mercury Topaz is home to Pearl, the precocious, wryly observant 14-year-old narrator of this devastating, lyrical novel, set in a Florida trailer park whose denizens live on the edge of quiet desperation while dreaming of a life devoid of drugs, guns, and men who can’t be trusted. An unforgettable paean to the resilience of the human spirit. (LJ 2/1/18)

Enger, Leif. Virgil Wander.

Grove. ISBN 9780802128782.
A declining Minnesota town is movingly exalted in Enger’s beautifully written meditation on memory, loneliness, loss, and rebirth, as illustrated by kite-flying Rune, searching for a son he never knew he had; Nadine, who’s given up hopes of reuniting with her long-missing husband; and Virgil himself, who opens to a new world of possibilities after surviving a near-fatal automobile accident. (LJ 9/1/18)

Iweala, Uzodinma. Speak No Evil.

Harper. ISBN 9780061284922.
In a narrative that unwinds crucial issues of choice and the burden of playing multiple parts, Harvard-bound Nigerian American Niru faces a splintering identity; not only is he black in a white world and an immigrant in America, but he’s facing the realization that he is gay. His pain is so palpable it will make you gasp. (LJ 11/15/17)

Makkai, Rebecca. The Great Believers.

Viking. ISBN 9780735223523.
In her deeply felt novel, Makkai captures the first fearful moments and lasting impact of the AIDS epidemic as she moves between 1980s Chicago, where Yale loses friend Nico to the new virus, and contemporary Paris, as Nico’s younger sister Fiona contemplates how AIDS upended her family. Real, empathetic, and driven by compassion and community. (LJ 5/15/18)

Orange, Tommy. There There.

Knopf. ISBN 9780525520375.
From Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield and sister Jacquie Red Feather; to Jacquie’s grandson Orvill, desperate to perform at the Big Oakland Powwow; to fetal alcohol syndrome–affected Tony and more, Orange reveals to coruscating effect both the heartbreak and the richly variegated texture of urban Native American life. Emphasizes the importance of storytelling, and what a story! (LJ 4/1/18)

Powers, Richard. The Overstory.

Norton. ISBN 9780393635522.
In this stunning work of imaginative prowess, Powers illustrates the symbiotic relationship among trees, insects, animals, and humans as Norwegian immigrant Jørgen Hoel moves to Iowa, pockets filled with chestnut seeds he then plants. Thus he sets into motion a luminous tale of nine seemingly unrelated characters whose lives intersect over decades in profoundly unsettling ways. (LJ 2/1/18)

Shteyngart, Gary. Lake Success.

Random. ISBN 9780812997415.
His life a shambles, an ultrarich but clueless hedge fund manager runs cross-country on a Greyhound bus in search of something more. Shteyngart nails the zeitgeist in a work that’s at once a road novel, story of redemption, send-up of American excess, portrait of contemporary parenting, and spot-on yet never heartless rags-to-riches-to-lesser-riches account. (LJ 5/1/18)

Taneja, Preti. We That Are Young.

Knopf. ISBN 9780525521525.
Familial jealousy, sexual tension, political turmoil, and shocking violence are served up with passion and verve in this India-set debut, as an elderly developer influential in every aspect of national business decides to relinquish control to his three very different daughters. Alas, their visions for the company diverge precipitously. A sophisticated iteration of King Lear.
(LJ 8/18)

Committee: Sally Bissell, Joshua Finnell, Barbara Hoffert

Alam, Rumaan. That Kind of Mother.

Ecco: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062667601.
This portrait of race and privilege centers on the relationship between Rebecca, a white woman, and Priscilla, the black woman who works for her and gives birth to the black son Rebecca eventually adopts. In spare prose, Alam offers an intimate, unflinching exploration of transracial adoption and the power dynamics between two families. (LJ 4/15/18)

Castillo, Elaine. America Is Not the Heart.

Viking. ISBN 9780735222410.
Castillo’s rich, challenging debut about a Filipino family fleeing violence in their homeland and coming to the United States during the 1990s is relevant today. Her multigenerational saga churns with muscular prose that will break your heart. (LJ 2/15/18)

Coster, Naima. Halsey Street.

Little A: Amazon. ISBN 9781503941175.
A stunning debut featuring relatable characters and complex relationships, Coster’s story of gentrification and its ripple effects on a Brooklyn family and their neighborhood hits all the right notes. Alternately told from the viewpoints of estranged daughter Penelope and her mother, Mirella, it will haunt readers. (LJ 1/18)

Gabel, Aja. The Ensemble.

Riverhead. ISBN 9780735214767.
Four instrumentalists form a chamber group when they are graduate students. Jana, Henry, Brit, and Daniel are each talented in their own right, but together they approach genius. They are not, however, geniuses in their love lives. On the surface, this is a book about music, but deeper still are the characters’ love and friendship for one another. (LJ 3/1/18)

Greenwood, T. Rust & Stardust.

St. Martin’s. ISBN 9781250164193.
In 1948, 11-year-old Florence Sally Horner was abducted and held captive for nearly two years. Some posit that crime formed the basis for Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, which centers on her abuser’s feelings. Greenwood turns that paradigm around, giving voice to Sally and her family. At times harrowing but never sensational, this novel will remain with readers long after the last page. (LJ 5/15/18)

Jones, Tayari. An American Marriage.

Algonquin. ISBN 9781616201340.
Roy and Celestial are newlyweds when Roy is wrongly convicted of rape. Alternating among the perspectives of Celestial, Roy, and family friend Andre, Jones’s fourth novel uses the rich interior lives of the characters to illustrate the personal and societal pain caused by a biased legal system and centuries of racial injustice. (LJ 9/15/17)

Moran, Caitlin. How To Be Famous.

Harper. ISBN 9780062433770.
Self-described “lady sex adventurer” Johanna Morrigan (aka Dolly Wilde) writes for a British music magazine. Despite her wild escapades and access to hot parties and hotter celebrities, Jo misses her true (and unrequited) love. Jo/Dolly navigates, in a voice that is vulnerable and funny, her friendships, hook-ups, and the misogynistic world of 1990s music reporting. (LJ 8/18)

Committee: Liz French, Jane Jorgenson, Lynnanne Pearson

Balogh, Mary. Someone To Care.

Berkley Jove. (Westcott, Bk. 4). ISBN 9780399586088. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
An older couple renew a love each thought was gone years ago, and though they are now free of entanglements, family interference causes problems. From a master. (LJ 4/15/18)

Burrowes, Grace. My One and Only Duke.

Forever: Grand Central. ISBN 9781538728956. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
When a man in Newgate Prison is discovered to be the heir to a dukedom and snatched from the hangman, his plan to aid a preacher’s pregnant daughter by making her his widow changes drastically. A magnificent series begins. (LJ 10/15/18)

Byrne, Kerrigan. The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo.

St. Martin’s Paperbacks. (Victorian Rebels, 6). ISBN 9781250122568. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
An infamous pirate returns to claim the woman he’s always loved and avenge past wrongs in a lyrically written Victorian adventure that is as dark and unpredictable as it is mesmerizing. Stunning. (LJ 8/18)

Cole, Alyssa. A Princess in Theory.

Avon. (Reluctant Royals, Bk. 1). ISBN 9780062685544. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
A savvy public health grad student rejects the idea that she’s the long-lost intended of an African prince. Instead, she falls for an “ordinary guy,” who happens to be said prince. Danger-laced romance with abundant charm; an appealing series launch. (LJ 2/15/18)

Goodman, Jo. A Touch of Flame.

Berkley Jove. (Cowboys of Colorado, Bk. 2).
ISBN 9780399584299. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
A female physician from Boston is having a hard time as the replacement for the town’s longtime sawbones. People are skeptical, of course, but the fairly new sheriff is more than willing to help pave the way. Might be Goodman’s best book yet. (Xpress Reviews 8/17/18)

Guillory, Jasmine. The Proposal.

Berkley Jove. ISBN 9780399587689. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
After turning down a very public marriage proposal, a young woman is attracted to the guy who rescued her from the paparazzi. She isn’t ready for a relationship, nor is he, but they can’t deny the chemistry. A sophomore effort of quality. (Xpress Reviews 9/14/18)

James, Eloisa. Too Wilde To Wed.

Avon. (Wildes of Lindow Castle, Bk. 3). ISBN 9780062692467. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Returning from fighting in the American Revolution, Lord Roland Northbridge Wilde is shocked to find his former fiancée at his family estate serving as governess for his half-sister and a boy society thinks is his child. A delicious series. (LJ 6/15/18)

Krentz, Jayne Ann. Promise Not To Tell.

Berkley. ISBN 9780399585272. ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
The brutal past returns with terrifying vengeance, sending an art gallery owner and a PI on the trail of a fire-obsessed cult leader. A passion-laced thrill ride that solves one mystery and hints at others. (LJ 12/17)

Vale, Maria. The Last Wolf.

Sourcebooks Casablanca. (Legend of All Wolves, Bk. 1). ISBN 9781492661870. PARANORMAL ROMANCE
A despised shifter seeking sanctuary and a plucky but crippled werewolf join forces to prove their worth and gain pack acceptance. This multilayered debut is rife with villains, violence, wolf pups, and unexpected humor. Exceptional worldbuilding and Old Norse references. (LJ 2/15/18)

Ward, J.R. Consumed.

Gallery: S. & S. (Firefighters, Bk. 1). ISBN 9781501194900. ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
After losing a hand, a fearless firefighter–turned–fire inspector becomes the target of an arsonist. Her hotshot colleague, who feels responsible for her injury, will do anything to keep her safe. A brilliant, adrenaline-fired series opener. (LJ 10/15/18)

Andrews, Ilona. Diamond Fire.

Avon Impulse. (Hidden Legacy, Bk. 3.5). ebk. ISBN 9780062878410. PARANORMAL ROMANCE
The sister of one of the most powerful Primes in recent memory tackles her toughest battle to date: organizing her sister’s wedding to the most powerful Prime in existence. With family drama, a mystery, and hints of the future of the Wildfire universe. (Xpress Reviews 9/7/18)

Blake, Marnee. Tempt the Flames.

Lyrical Liaison: Kensington. (Smokejumpers, Bk. 1). ebk. ISBN 9781516107681. ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
The deaths of their fathers in a suspicious smokejumping incident years before turn this tale into a modified Romeo and Juliet story of family feuds. Riveting series opener. (Xpress Reviews 9/28/18)

Parrish, Roan. Riven.

Loveswept: Random. ISBN 9781524799328. LGBTQIA ROMANCE
A reluctant rock star meets the man of his dreams in a rundown bar, but the man of his dreams has been burned by the music industry. A scorching romance and a look at addiction and its consequences in a stunning love story. (Xpress Reviews 4/27/18)

Sebastian, Cat. Unmasked by the Marquess.

Avon Impulse. (Regency Impostors, Bk. 1). ebk. ISBN 9780062820655. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
A widow impersonates her late husband to save her sister-in-law’s inheritance and help her find a suitable husband. Gender is a fluid concept in this delightfully novel historical romance. (Xpress Reviews 2/23/18)

Stetz-Waters, Karelia. Worth the Wait.

Forever Yours: Grand Central. (Out in Portland, Bk. 3). ebk. ISBN 9781538727041. LGBTQIA ROMANCE
Star-crossed potential high school lovers meet again at their 15-year class reunion and seek to ignite a romance, despite one still in the closet. Nostalgia and flawed characters making tough decisions. (Xpress Reviews 6/22/18)

Committee: Melanie Duncan, Bette-Lee Fox, Kristin Ramsdell

Camp, Bryan. The City of Lost Fortunes.

John Joseph Adams: Houghton Harcourt.
(Crescent City, Bk. 1). ISBN 9781328810793.
FANTASY
This richly atmospheric debut is set in post-Katrina New Orleans, capturing the city’s enduring self-image and ongoing scars in a single mythos. A cousin to Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, this tale of a trickster’s son seeing his future in the cards nonetheless stands on its own. (LJ 3/15/18)

French, Jonathan. The Grey Bastards.

Crown. (Lot Lands, Bk. 1). ISBN 9780525572442. FANTASY
This debut adventure fantasy starts small: a young hero believes he knows his world and his place in it, only to discover that the world is vast and the truth different from the comforting stories with which he was raised. And even a half-orc and his battle-hog have a destiny.
(LJ 6/15/18)

Kowal, Mary Robinette. The Calculating Stars.

Tor. (Lady Astronaut, Bk. 1). ISBN 9780765378385. SF
A meteor strike puts the future of humanity at stake, pushing the need for space colonization decades ahead of schedule. Elma York, a pilot and mathematician with the International Aerospace Coalition, advocates for one small step for womankind. A smart, speculative twist on the space race. (LJ 6/15/18)

Kuang, R.F. The Poppy War.

Harper Voyager. ISBN 9780062662569. FANTASY
In this grimdark, #ownvoices epic fantasy, every triumph turns to tragedy or worse, from the first moment its peasant heroine defies expectations, leaving her village and ascending to the lowest rung of a premier military academy. She emerges not triumphant but bloody, broken, and incandescent. (LJ 5/15/18)

Mammay, Michael. Planetside.

Harper Voyager. ISBN 9780062694669. SF
Military sf meets detective story in this standout debut. It presents a realpolitik view of just how much war is hell through its world-weary old soldier protagonist; how desperate governments are to cover up truths that won’t play well at home; and how much it costs to clean up the mess.

Novik, Naomi. Spinning Silver.

Del Rey: Ballantine. ISBN 9780399180989. FANTASY
This harsh and beautiful Rumpelstiltskin retelling follows a determined young Jewish woman who becomes a moneylender—braving opprobrium—to save her family from poverty. Her acumen attracts an elf king whose wintery land has an insatiable appetite for gold. Her cunning and fierce defense of her value and her people bring a hard-fought happy ending. (LJ 6/15/18)

Okorafor, Nnedi. Binti: The Night Masquerade.

Tor.com. (Binti, Bk. 3). ISBN 9780765393135. SF
The magnificent conclusion of the Binti trilogy draws the eponymous heroine literally down to Earth to reconnect with her home and people, bring them into alignment with her larger family from the stars, and try to save both from their tragedies of character—only to result in a surprising twist ending. (LJ 11/15/17)

Roanhorse, Rebecca. Trail of Lightning.

Saga: Gallery. (Sixth World, Bk. 1). ISBN 9781534413498. FANTASY
Climate change all but destroyed the world, but the Navajo nation Dinetah survived within magical borders. Maggie Hoskie, a monster slayer with clan abilities, must battle knowing that some monsters wear the face of a friend. An Indigenous urban fantasy debut that captures readers from the start. (LJ 5/15/18)

Tidhar, Lavie. Unholy Land.

Tachyon. ISBN 9781616963040. FANTASY
A tale of self-exile and parental grief becomes stranger and more powerful as forces in an alternate, African Jewish homeland manipulate reality and borders for a defense that becomes a horror. Recalling China Miéville’s The City and the City, Tidhar’s narrative resonates with the dilemmas of modern Israel without devolving to mere metaphor. (LJ 10/15/18)

Wells, Martha. Exit Strategy.

Tor.com. (Murderbot Diaries, Bk. 4). ISBN 9781250191854. SF
Murderbot returns with proof of GrayCris Corporation’s scheming to warn its previous owner Dr. Mensah. But Mensah is being held captive, and Murderbot must come to the rescue of humans, again. The snarkiest AI around, Murderbot lives up to its name in this fourth novella of the series. (LJ 9/15/18)

Committee: Kristi Chadwick, Marlene Harris, Meredith Schwartz

Adjei-Brenyah, Nana Kwame. Friday Black.

Mariner: Houghton Harcourt. ISBN 9781328911247.
This stunningly original debut engages head-on with the darkest themes of contemporary life—race and racism, violence, consumerism, and the seductions of anger in a cruel world—in consistently surprising stories ranging from dystopian fantasy to satire to lovingly handled realism. An intelligent collection that’s unsettling, insightful, and deeply humane. (LJ 8/18)

Berlin, Lucia. Evening in Paradise: More Stories.

Farrar. ISBN 9780374279486.
The ordinary is made extraordinary and the extraordinary achingly familiar in these beautifully realized stories, as when a young American woman has an unsettling encounter with an older man in Chile and a teenager admonished for drinking shoots back, “I’m old for my age. Thirty-five is young to be a burnout.” Berlin’s second, eye-opening posthumous collection. (LJ 10/1/18)

Bonnaffons, Amy. The Wrong Heaven.

Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316516211.
At once goofy, poignant, and edged with the fantastic, the stories in this debut collection initially surprise, then turn into one long, delicious rush, as when a floundering grade school teacher buys two cheap plastic statues—an Electric Jesus and a Flashing Virgin—that when plugged in become alive and overbearing. (LJ 3/1/18)

Brinkley, Jamel. A Lucky Man.

Graywolf. ISBN 9781555978051.
The urban black men and boys in debut author Brinkley’s nine stories are complex, often thorny, and always striving toward honesty with themselves—if not always with one another. These deep dives into hearts and minds are warm and emotionally astute, the city settings vivid, and the writing beautiful. (LJ 3/1/18)

Cooper, Paige. Zolitude.

Biblioasis. ISBN 9781771962179.
Cooper’s wildly inventive debut may engage with timeless themes like love and need, but unconventional plotting and language provide an off-kilter sense of narrative daring, from a contemporary Latvian love triangle to a tough-talking Vietnam vet reconnoitering in a near-future Southeast Asia where tourists ride tame tyrannosaurs. (LJ 3/1/18)

Felver, Brad. The Dogs of Detroit.

Univ. of Pittsburgh. ISBN 9780822945420.
In this accomplished debut, Felver delivers a powerful, haunting sense of life’s hard contours in clear-eyed language that never stoops to gratuitous violence or self-conscious drama. “We were mean kids. We knew it and celebrated it,” says one story, while another effectively encompasses a couple’s dating to post-divorce relationship in under 25 pages. (LJ 10/1/18)

Millet, Lydia. Fight No More.

Norton. ISBN 9780393635485.
Millet’s linked stories revolving around a ragtag cast of L.A. characters—philosophical realtor; simultaneously sullen and sweet teenagers; trophy wife; sharp, aging Holocaust survivor; and more—are genial and intelligent. Millet’s affection for her characters, even at their worst, is palpable. A tender portrait that lodges in the reader’s heart. (LJ 3/1/18)

Slouka, Mark. All That Is Left Is All That Matters.

Norton. ISBN 9780393292282.
Veteran author Slouka’s deeply affecting collection is often melancholy but never sentimental, even as characters contend with losses both small and enormous. A recurring young protagonist, the son of Czech immigrants (as is the author), is particularly engaging as he grapples with his emerging awareness of family dynamics during late-1960s lakeside summers. (LJ 7/18)

Trevor, William. Last Stories.

Viking. ISBN 9780525558101.
Throughout these final stories from the masterly Trevor, limpid and clearly defined as dewdrops, we see characters dealing with the past and moving forward—or not. There’s an autumnal air throughout—a housekeeper “had once known what she wanted, but she wasn’t so sure about that anymore”—but these are stories for all ages. (LJ 3/1/18)

Wilson, Kevin. Baby, You’re Gonna Be Mine: Stories.

Ecco: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062450524.
A young man helps his girlfriend with her sister’s feral children, a self-absorbed rocker quits music and moves home to his ever-understanding mother, and a teenager discovers a magic razor that helps him avoid reckoning with life. Again, Wilson limns fraught family relations and the trouble many adults have growing up. (LJ 8/18)

Committee: Barbara Hoffert, Lisa Peet

Faye, Gaël. Small Country.

Hogarth: Crown. tr. from French by Sarah Ardizzone. ISBN 9781524759872.
Told that Tutsis and Hutus are fighting because their noses are different, the protagonist of Burundi-born, French-based songwriter/rapper Faye’s autobiographical debut promises “never to define myself again.” But Faye does define himself as an outstanding writer in this taut, affecting story of family tensions and a childhood and country shattered by violence. (LJ 4/15/18)

Guelfenbein, Carla. In the Distance with You.

Other. tr. from Spanish by John Cullen. ISBN 9781590518700.
In a stunningly constructed narrative, the death of brilliant but reclusive Chilean author Vera Sigall provokes response from troubled architect friend Daniel; earnest student Emilia; and poet Horacio, Sigall’s former lover, with their turmoil ultimately addressing a secret at the heart of Sigall’s work. As absorbing as any mystery. (LJ 4/1/18)

Mandanipour, Shahriar. Moon Brow.

Restless. tr. from Persian by Sara Khalili. ISBN 9781632061287.
Written in the heightened language of dreams, this new work from exiled Iranian award winner Mandanipour features a young wastrel carted off by the Revolutionary Guards, sent to fight in Iraq, and then institutionalized, who searches for the elusive Moon Brow as two scribes, his rational and demonically angry selves, perch on either shoulder. Imaginative and bracing. (LJ 4/1/18)

Murakami, Haruki. Killing Commendatore.

Knopf. tr. from Japanese by Philip Gabriel & Ted Goossen. ISBN 9780525520047.
A famous painter succumbing to dementia. A wealthy, middle-aged man alone in a mountainside mansion. A motherless schoolgirl raised by an aunt. And an unnamed artist, 36 and newly single. Welcome to Murakami’s latest delight, where these disparate narratives intertwine, serving as catalyst to the reader’s act of discovery. Seamlessly translated by the author’s preferred Anglophone emissaries. (LJ 10/15/18)

Murata, Sayaka. Convenience Store Woman.

Grove. tr. from Japanese by Ginny Topley Takemori. ISBN 9780802128256.
A strange child “reborn” as a convenience store worker at 18, Keiko mimics coworkers to become “a normal cog in society.” Still single at 36, she deflects meddling from family and friends by “adopting” an arrogant wastrel. Akutagawa Prize–winning Murata’s dazzling, crisply translated Anglophone debut is rich in scathingly entertaining observations on the suffocating hypocrisy of so-called normal society. (LJ 4/15/18)

Ruiz Zafón, Carlos. The Labyrinth of the Spirits.

Harper. tr. from Spanish by Lucia Graves. ISBN 9780062668691.
Orphaned when the Nacionales bombed Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, 29-year-old Alicia works for Spain’s secret police and agrees to one last assignment: find the vanished minister of culture, who ran Barcelona’s notorious Montjuic Prison during the war. Indelible characters, historical resonance, a relentlessly entertaining plot, and a fluid translation reflecting the colloquial original. (LJ 8/18)

Shin, Kyung-sook. The Court Dancer.

Pegasus. tr. from Korean by Anton Hur. ISBN 9781681777870.
Man Asian Literary Prize–winning Shin alchemizes a brief mention in a French diplomat’s book about his turn-of-the-century Korean tenure—when he falls in love with the eponymous court dancer—into a gorgeous epic that combines history and fiction in a hybrid masterpiece. Originally published in Korea in 2007 to best-selling success. (Xpress Reviews 8/17/18)

Starnone, Domenico. Trick.

Europa. tr. from Italian by Jhumpa Lahiri. ISBN 9781609454449.
The dialog snaps, crackles, and pops as curmudgeonly illustrator Daniele Mallarico tends preternaturally bright four-year-old grandson Mario. “I don’t know if I’m scared for the child or scared of the child,” he says in this superb, sometimes unsettling intergenerational portrait, smartly translated. Also addressed: Daniele’s heartrending realization that he’s losing his edge in his art. (LJ 4/15/18)

Tawada, Yoko. The Emissary.

New Directions. tr. from Japanese by Margaret Mitsutani. ISBN 9780811227629.
Almost-108-year-old Yoshiro remains vigorous. His reason for living is Mumei, his daughter’s son’s son. In this alternate future, everything is potentially poisoned; even children face extinction, and the elderly bear responsibility for the fragile new generations. Yet hope remains. Japanese-born, Germany-based Tawada’s smoothly rendered linguistic mélange captivatingly blends fairy tale, mystery, dystopian warning, and multigenerational saga. (LJ 1/18)

Tokarczuk, Olga. Flights.

Riverhead. tr. from Polish by Jennifer Croft. ISBN 9780525534198.
Not your standard fiction, this Man Booker International Prize winner is essentially a meditation on travel—undertaken for various reasons but mostly for the journey itself. Interlaced vignettes feature a wife’s and child’s disappearance on an island, a doctor obsessed with preserving human body parts, donkeys, offbeat voyagers, and more. The result: an unmistakable sense of sweep. (LJ 8/18)

Committee: Barbara Hoffert, Terry Hong, Lawrence Olszewski

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Nonfiction

Bernstein, Jamie. Famous Father Girl.

Harper. ISBN 9780062641359. MEMOIR
The author captures the private side of her enigmatic and legendary father, Leonard Bernstein, filling this exceptionally enthralling memoir with warm and often bittersweet recollections. She is honest about her struggles with the magnitude of his fame and personality as well as her fervent pursuit of her own identity. (LJ 5/15/18)

Bonanos, Christopher. FLASH: The Making of Weegee the Famous.

Holt. ISBN 9781627793063. BIOG
Decades after his death, street photographer and outsize personality Weegee, born Arthur Felig at the turn of the 20th century, is still leaving his mark on photography, both arty and journalistic. New York magazine editor and photography connoisseur Bonanos writes a lively and entertaining biography of the man and his midcentury heyday, even making the physics of photography fascinating. (LJ 5/15/18)

Chee, Alexander. How To Write an Autobiographical Novel.

Houghton Harcourt. ISBN 9781328764522. ESSAYS
Novelist Chee turns to nonfiction in this luminous debut collection of storylike essays that trace the author’s quest to discover his voice as a writer. Explorations of memory, identity, politics, art, love, and loss reveal an unfailing vision that keeps us hanging on Chee’s every word. (LJ 4/15/18)

Dery, Mark. Born To Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey.

Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316188548. BIOG
Edward Gorey’s name conjures up striking imagery: the deliciously gothic opening to PBS’s Mystery and the chilling covers of John Bellairs’s books. This vivacious, arch work explores the man behind the art, introducing, and reintroducing, Gorey to a new generation of fans. (LJ 11/1/18)

Field, Sally. In Pieces.

Grand Central. ISBN 9781538763025. MEMOIR
Field holds nothing back, describing childhood sexual abuse, unsettling family issues, and complex personal relationships as well as her hard-won journey to become an award-winning actress. This powerful, timely narrative resonates with pain and triumph. (Xpress Reviews 10/5/18)

Greenburg, Zack O’Malley. 3 Kings: Diddy, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Hip-Hop’s Multibillion-Dollar Rise.

Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316316538. MUSIC
More than just a style of music, hip-hop, writes Greenburg, is an integral part of our culture, leaving an imprint on fashion, TV and film, and business. The author’s engaging prose and deftly rendered portraits of larger-than-life artists, with an emphasis on Dr. Dre, Diddy, and Jay-Z, will leave readers awe-struck by the style’s influence.

King, Maxwell. The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers.

Abrams. ISBN 9781419727726. BIOG
Readers who vaguely remember Fred Rogers as the kindly host of the long-running PBS series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood will be impressed by the depth of this meticulously researched volume. As King demonstrates, Rogers approached children’s entertainment with an integrity, passion, and understanding rarely seen before—or since. (LJ 8/18)

Peisner, David. Homey Don’t Play That! The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution.

Atria. ISBN 9781501143328. TV
Move over, Saturday Night Live—In Living Color may have lasted only five seasons to SNL’s 40-plus, but its subversive comedy gave black entertainers a voice and transformed pop culture. With this immensely enjoyable volume, Peisner balances creator Keenen Ivory Wayans’s satisfying rags-to-riches story with a nuanced critique of the show’s triumphs and flaws. (LJ 1/18)

Rioux, Anne Boyd. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: The Story of Little Women.

Norton. ISBN 9780393254730. LIT
Though beloved, Little Women has fallen short of classic status—at least in the eyes of most academics and critics. This scholarly yet entertaining work makes a powerful case for the novel’s inclusion in the canon and calls upon readers to reconsider attitudes toward media dismissed as “chick lit.” (LJ 8/18)

Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves.

Ballantine. ed. by Glory Edim. ISBN 9780525619772. LIT
In 2015, Edim launched an Instagram account highlighting her favorite authors and books. Its success led her to create the Well-Read Black Girl book club and literary festival. Here her journey comes full circle, as she gathers stories, quotes, and book lists from celebrated black women writers, further affirming the transformative power of reading. (LJ 11/1/18)

Committee: Carol Binkowski, Mahnaz Dar, Liz French, Annalisa Pešek

Cantú, Francisco. The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border.

Riverhead. ISBN 9780735217713. MEMOIR
In this unguarded look at border life from the perspective of a migrant and agent, Cantú uses a series of vignettes to recount his experiences working for the U.S. Border Patrol and how he struggles to justify his job to his Mexican family. (LJ 2/1/18)

Chung, Nicole. All You Can Ever Know.

Catapult. ISBN 9781936787975. MEMOIR
Chung’s parents never hid the facts of her adoption from her, but they were also ill-equipped to answer questions about her Korean identity. She relays her journey to connect with her birth parents and, later, the sisters she never knew she had. (LJ 9/1/18)

Iftin, Abdi Nor. Call Me American.

Knopf. ISBN 9781524732196. MEMOIR
Somalia-born Iftin had a love of Western movies that helped him learn English and, by chance, connect with a reporter who helped him resettle in Maine. This harrowing story of escaping terrorism yields an inside look at a conflict that continues to rage. (LJ 5/1/18)

Khan-Cullors, Patrisse. When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir.

St. Martin’s. ISBN 9781250171085. MEMOIR
With dynamic prose, this powerful memoir by Khan-Cullors, one of the three founding women of the Black Lives Matter movement, is a call to action that adroitly illustrates the ongoing effects of systematic racism; a searing look into a contemporary movement. (LJ 12/17)

Laymon, Kiese. Heavy: An American Memoir.

Scribner. ISBN 9781250171085. MEMOIR
As beautiful as it is heartbreaking, this examination by Laymon explores the politics and policing of black male bodies along with the heartache of black excellence. Race, politics, poverty, addiction, body issues, family, manhood, feminism, education—this book has it all. (LJ 9/1/18)

McBride, Sarah. Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality.

Crown Archetype. ISBN 9781524761479. MEMOIR
Activist McBride writes movingly of her political activism, her experience as a trans person, and falling in love and then losing her love to cancer. Her work underscores the need for antidiscrimination protection for the entire LGBTQ community. (LJ 3/1/18)

McCubbin, Lisa. Betty Ford: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer.

Gallery: S. & S. ISBN 9781501164682. BIOG
McCubbin’s engaging style brings Betty Ford vividly to life. Ford’s openness about her breast cancer diagnosis led to heightened awareness of the disease and her lasting legacy, the Betty Ford Center, continues to thrive. (LJ 8/18)

Mailhot, Terese Marie. Heart Berries.

Counterpoint. ISBN 9781619023345. MEMOIR
Mailhot wrote her lyrical memoir as a way to begin dealing with trauma. In a series of vignettes, she reflects on her Native identity, mental health, dysfunctional family, and relationships lost and found.

O’Farrell, Maggie. I Am I Am I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death.

Knopf. ISBN 9780525520221. MEMOIR
A heartfelt meditation on the fragility and wonder of life, O’Farrell’s work reflects on the times when she came close to death—a near drowning, an encounter with a murderer on a deserted hiking trail, and close calls during surgeries, among others. (LJ 3/1/18)

Westover, Tara. Educated.

Random. ISBN 9780399590504. MEMOIR
Raised on a secluded family compound in Idaho, Westover was seven before realizing the biggest difference between her family members and others was that they didn’t go to school. After cracks in her upbringing started to appear, she began a delayed pursuit of education. (LJ 2/1/18)

Committee: Mattie Cook, Stephanie Klose, Stephanie Sendaula

Coyle, Daniel. The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups.

Bantam. ISBN 9780804176989.
In examining the way prosperous teams operate, Coyle looks at how culture can be created to help any group transform into a team. He offers examples of what to do and what not to do in order to create an environment of innovation and success.

Davenport, Christian. The Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos.

PublicAffairs. ISBN 9781610398299.
The new space race is being fueled by the deep pockets of four billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Paul Allen. Davenport tells the story of their rivalry and competing projects. (LJ 3/15/18)

Doerr, John. Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs.

Portfolio. ISBN 9780525536222.
In order to make tough choices and focus on what matters, businesses need a way to measure what matters. Venture capitalist Doerr shares case studies of OKRs (objectives and key results) through the stories of companies such as Google and Intel.

Heimans, Jeremy & Henry Timms. New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World—and How To Make It Work for You.

Doubleday. ISBN 9780385541114.
Unlike old power, new power can be gained and wielded by anyone. CEOs Heimans and Timms explain this phenomenon—what it is and how to navigate it—as well as its importance for grassroots campaigns and start-ups.

Kessler, Sarah. Gigged: The End of the Job and the Future of Work.

St. Martin’s. ISBN 9781250097897.
In this examination of the gig economy and those who participate in it, Kessler uses their stories to illustrate its pros and cons, its effect on traditional industry, and how it’s changing the world of work as we know it. (LJ 5/15/18)

Tooze, Adam. Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World.

Viking. ISBN 9780670024933.
Tooze considers the financial history of the last ten years to show how current events trace back to their roots in the 2008 Great Recession and looks at how the world has changed as a result. (LJ 7/18)

Committee: Sara Holder, Elizabeth Nelson, Stephanie Sendaula

Beranbaum, Rose Levy. Rose’s Baking Basics: 100 Essential Recipes, with More Than 600 Step-by-Step Photos.

Houghton Harcourt. ISBN 9780544816220.
This newest addition from award-winning author Beranbaum features several foolproof recipes for common baked goods. Similar to the author’s previous works, this latest is destined to be popular among home bakers of all skill levels. (LJ 9/15/18)

Cohen, Vicky & Ruth Fox. Tahini and Turmeric: 101 Middle Eastern Classics—Made Irresistibly Vegan.

Da Capo. ISBN 9780738220109.
These recipes by sisters Cohen and Fox reflect the spices of Lebanon, Israel, and Syria, with a Mediterranean core of vegetables and an American appetite for quick meals. The accessible vegan dishes will appeal to all cooks. (LJ 8/18)

Deravian, Naz. Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories.

Flatiron: Macmillan. ISBN 9781250134417.
Blending personal stories and refreshing recipes, this debut from Deravian features recipes reflecting her grandmother’s cooking in Iran. The stunning easy-to-follow meals, both plant- and meat-based, will appeal to readers of culinary narratives.

Hamshaw, Gena. Power Plates: 100 Nutritionally Balanced, One-Dish Vegan Meals.

Ten Speed. ISBN 9780399579059.
In her best cookbook yet, blogger and author Hamshaw brings style and substance to healthful vegan cooking, focusing on lunches and dinners; appetizing plant-based recipes that won’t leave you hungry. (LJ 4/15/18)

Hernandez, Eddie with Susan Puckett. Turnip Greens & Tortillas: A Mexican Chef Spices up the Southern Kitchen.

Rux Martin: Houghton Harcourt. ISBN 9780544618824.
Hernandez shares recipes that highlight the similarities between Southern and Mexican cuisine. His stellar debut, with innovative foods and surprising flavor combinations, is imbued with his infectious excitement about cooking. (LJ 4/15/18)

Merchant, Jessica. The Pretty Dish: More Than 150 Everyday Recipes and 50 Beauty DIYs To Nourish Your Body Inside and Out.

Rodale. ISBN 9781623369699.
Emphasizing the importance of creating delicious food with minimal prep time, Merchant’s debut will appeal to those looking for quick, satisfying recipes. Sections on book club–ready snacks and cocktails are great for parties. (LJ 5/15/18)

Oakley, Gaz. Vegan 100: Over 100 Incredible Recipes from Avant-Garde Vegan.

Quadrille. ISBN 9781787131248. Instagram and YouTube sensation Oakley debuts a bold vegan collection featuring recipes that helped him to give up meat and dairy. This visually stunning resource will especially interest foodies who love to cook. (Xpress Reviews 11/16/18)

Ottolenghi, Yotam. Ottolenghi Simple.

Ten Speed. ISBN 9781607749165.
Ottolenghi offers a pared-down version of his signature Middle Eastern–inspired fare. His many fans will want this book, but his creativity and humor will also appeal to home cooks looking for exciting, approachable recipes. (LJ 10/1/18)

Turshen, Julia. Now & Again: Go-To Recipes, Inspired Menus + Endless Ideas for Reinventing Leftovers.

Chronicle. ISBN 9781452164922.
No one is better than Turshen at coming up with unpretentious, delicious, and approachable recipes for home cooks of varying skill levels; 150-plus recipes for a variety of occasions. (LJ 10/1/18)

Committee: Stephanie Klose, Stephanie Sendaula

Behan, Babs. Botanical Inks: Plant-to-Print Dyes, Techniques, and Projects.

Quadrille. ISBN 9781787131569.
This beautiful book teaches readers to use flowers, plants, and recycled food waste to create natural dyes and inks. Behan also provides instructions for projects such as cushion covers and gift tags.

Corrie, Anda. The Spoonflower Quick-Sew Project Book.

Abrams. ISBN 9781617690792.
With appealing projects organized by how much fabric they use (swatches, fat quarters, one yard, or multiple yards), this book helps sewists make the most of prized fabrics in their stash.

Herzog, Amy. Amy Herzog’s Ultimate Sweater Book: The Essential Guide for Adventurous Knitters.

Abrams. ISBN 9781419726705.
Featuring instructions for four sweater styles, plus the detailed, straightforward information about customization and fit Herzog is known for, this is a reference knitters will return to again and again.

Hewett, Jen. Print Pattern Sew: Block-Printed Basics & Simple Sewing Patterns.

Roost. ISBN 9781611804621.
Printmaker Hewitt’s intricate designs have made her a cult favorite among crafters and fashionistas alike. Here she teaches readers how to design, create, and use hand-printed fabric. (LJ 8/18)

Hogg, Corrie Beth. Handmade Houseplants: Remarkably Realistic Plants You Can Make with Paper.

Timber. ISBN 9781604698190.
Clear step-by-step photos and relatively few required materials make these paper plants a strong choice for teen or adult programs.

Imasa-Stukuls, Maybelle. The Gift of Calligraphy: A Modern Approach to Hand Lettering with 25 Projects To Give & To Keep.

Ten Speed. ISBN 9780399579202.
Focusing on ways to use your new calligraphy skills, this beautifully designed book features a variety of hand-lettering projects.

Katz, Emily. Modern Macramé: 33 Stylish Projects for Your Handmade Home.

Ten Speed. ISBN 9780399579578.
Katz brings a fresh sensibility to an age-old craft, providing information about materials, knots, and techniques, as well as instructions for numerous decor projects.

Rodabaugh, Katrina. Mending Matters: Stitch, Patch, and Repair Your Favorite Denim and More.

Abrams. ISBN 9781419729478.
A comprehensive and stylish guide to mending your favorite clothing—and why it’s important.

Santo, Nicole Miyuki. By Hand: The Art of Modern Lettering.

Running Pr. ISBN 9780762463411.
With in-depth discussion of the merits of different tools and how to move from foundation strokes to lettering, this is an excellent guide for those just getting started with calligraphy.

Tran, Jennifer. Flowersmith: How To Handcraft and Arrange Enchanting Paper Flowers.

Hardie Grant. ISBN 9781743792919.
Tran’s hyperrealistic paper flowers are varsity-level crafting. The book works equally well as eye candy and instruction.

Committee: Stephanie Klose, Stephanie Sendaula

Armantrout, Rae. Wobble.

Wesleyan Univ. ISBN 9780819578242.
In language lean, intimate, and purposeful, this latest from Pulitzer Prize–winning Armantrout shifts constantly between public and private, abstract and concrete, known and unknown, surprising and delighting us as she delivers a sense of what’s possible and of new ways of seeing. (LJ 11/15/18)

Charles, Jos. Feeld.

Milkweed. ISBN 9781571315052.
All poetry aims at refreshing language, but to find a new language for discussing the trans experience, Charles goes further than most: “a tran is a thynge u leeve/ wen u scape a streem.” Feeling both medieval and eerily modern, this arresting work will shape the conversation on poetry for years. (LJ 9/15/18)

George, Jenny. The Dream of Reason.

Copper Canyon. ISBN 9781556595196.
A dying bat crawls across the porch, something unseen stirs in the grass, a disturbing sense of being watched on a starlit night portends violence, yet “Everything is restored.” It’s remarkable how these tactile poems calm and reassure, gathering us into this world even as they suggest an uncertain beyond. (LJ 5/15/18)

Hayes, Terrance. American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin.

Penguin. ISBN 9780143133186.
Inspired by the late Wanda Coleman’s American Sonnets, National Book Award winner Hayes rises to the challenge, crafting 70 masterly sonnets written during the first 200 days of the Trump administration. These meditations register righteous anger but also celebrate American greats from Baldwin to Hendrix—and prove that Hayes is an American great himself. (LJ 5/15/18)

Martinez, David Tomas. Post Traumatic Hood Disorder.

Sarabande. ISBN 9781946448095.
Smart and witty, loose-limbed and energized, deeply personal yet never self-regarding, both pop cultural and classical in reference, full of hurt and triumph, and in the same breath combining slangy language with the whack of insight, this bright, shining book wants life to lift us but knows the dangers: “Icarus// killed himself// being lifted.”

Reed, Justin Phillip. Indecency.

Coffee House. ISBN 9781566895149.
Writing in raw, nervy, reverberant, densely packed language whose import simply can’t be reduced to easy explanation, Reed explores oppression and violence, gender and racial identity, showing in pained and painful verse how these issues connect: “what question/ does the self ask at the body’s behest/ that time won’t wring from the body itself?” One-of-a-kind brilliant.

Seuss, Diane. Still Life with Two Dead Peacocks and a Girl.

Graywolf. ISBN 9781555978068.
Though limning art (its title comes from a Rembrandt painting), this collection ultimately explores the limits we push against, particularly women, and our visceral connection to a world mediated through our senses (“My eyes were hungry for paint, like I used to imagine/ a horse could taste the green in its mouth”). A vibrant yet exacting work. (LJ 5/15/18)

Webster, Kerri. The Trailhead.

Wesleyan Univ. ISBN 9780819578112.
At first, the female speaker inhabiting Whiting Foundation Award winner Webster’s radiant third collection seems largely concerned with three main themes—“wilderness, poetry, sex”—yet brilliantly interwoven among these touchstones of her journey is a bold examination of her past and future selves, a voice enamored of and empowered by each discovery.

Yang, Jeffrey. Hey, Marfa: Poems.

Graywolf. ISBN 9781555978198.
This distinctive blend of image and imagination doesn’t dwell on Marfa, TX, as a modern-day arts center, instead investigating the area’s fraught history (“And the blood of the defeated runs/ fast through the earth’s vein”) and gorgeously desolate terrain (“each sand-/ grain a snowflake”). References range from Bach to Hollywood, while nearby Juárez evokes contemporary concerns. (LJ 9/15/18)

Young, Kevin. Brown.

Knopf. ISBN 9781524732547.
Blending sports and music, John Brown and Brown v. Board of Education, the ferocious fun of dancing and the commitment of joining sit-ins, Brown’s memoir in verse at once captures his own life and the larger African American experience (“wounded not just/ by the blows”) in language that’s measured and beautiful and absolutely perfect. (LJ 4/1/18)

Committee: Barbara Hoffert, Fred Muratori, Annalisa Pešek

Bass, Diana Butler. Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks.

HarperOne. ISBN 9780062659477.
Bass delves into the spiritual aspects of gratitude and the life-changing effects of practicing gratefulness in personal and civic spaces. Personal insights enrich this portrait of gratitude as a goal and way of life. (LJ 6/15/18)

Bidwell, Duane R. When One Religion Isn’t Enough: The Lives of Spiritually Fluid People.

Beacon. ISBN 9780807091241.
Appealing to spiritual readers seeking an understanding of the growing multireligious movement, this work by Bidwell offers empathetic first-person accounts exploring interreligious dialog and how and why people claim more than one faith. (LJ 10/15/18)

Dalai Lama & Sofia Stril-Rever. A Call for Revolution: A Vision for the Future.

Morrow. ISBN 9781846045899.
Responding to an increase in youth-led momentum, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama addresses the challenges upcoming generations will inherit: systemic poverty, environmental neglect, and fractured politics. He calls for compassion as a means of moving forward.

Goff, Bob. Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People.

Thomas Nelson. ISBN 9780718078133.
What does it mean to love everyone and how can one go about it? In his latest work, Goff attempts to find out, offering a humorous and humanistic take on finding the right friends and discovering the upside of failure.

Goodman, Martin. A History of Judaism.

Princeton Univ. ISBN 9780691181271.
This wide-ranging and often surprising history of Judaism as a religion and identity demonstrates that Jews have always been pluralistic. While dense and detailed, this work is ideal for anyone looking for a comprehensive history. (LJ 2/1/18)

Klein, Linda Kay. Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free.

Touchstone. ISBN 9781501124815.
Klein demonstrates how the Christianity of her youth was actively weaponized against female sexuality and examines the ingrained beliefs that influence how Evangelical girls and women should behave. A potent account of purity culture that deserves attention. (LJ 10/15/18)

Massing, Michael. Fatal Discord: Erasmus, Luther, and the Fight for the Western Mind.

Harper. ISBN 9780060517601.
This engaging tale of the contentious relationship between two influential figures—one who remained a Catholic (Desiderius Erasmus), the other whose teaching spawned Protestant denominations (Martin Luther)—provides much-needed historical insight. (LJ 2/1/18)

Mitchell, Sherri. Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change.

North Atlantic. ISBN 9781623171957.
Whether discussing social justice, environmental activism, Native rights, and war and peace, Mitchell raises universal connections. The spirituality she displays is at once vibrant and intriguing. Anyone interested in holistic faith traditions will find her work rewarding. (LJ 2/1/18)

Stone, Rachel Marie. Birthing Hope: Giving Fear to the Light.

IVP. ISBN 9780830845330.
With lyrical prose, Stone expands upon her experiences as a doula in this quiet memoir of living among economically poor yet spiritually rich women. Ultimately, she recognizes that life itself is a paradox, with hope as the most paradoxical of virtues. (LJ 6/1/18)

Committee: Sandra Collins, Stephanie Sendaula, James Wetherbee

Brusatte, Steve. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World.

Morrow. ISBN 9780062490421. SCI
As Brusatte tells the story of the dinosaurs, he also tells his own: how he turned a boyhood obsession with dinosaurs into an exhilarating scientific career. He traces how dinosaurs adapted to drifting continents, shifting sea levels, and a fluctuating climate. (LJ 3/15/18)

Carreyrou, John. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup.

Knopf. ISBN 9781524731656. TECH
With this best-selling tale of technology and corruption, Carreyrou documents the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company Theranos. Excellent character sketches make it almost novelistic, but readers never doubt that the details are backed by solid reporting.
(LJ 6/15/18)

Fry, Hannah. Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms.

Norton. ISBN 9780393634990. TECH
By exploring the potential of algorithms for everything from finding patterns in criminal activity to diagnosing cancer, this latest book from Fry raises hard questions about the ethics and hidden dangers of relying too heavily on artificial intelligence. (LJ 9/1/18)

George, Rose. Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood.

Metropolitan: Holt. ISBN 9781627796378. SCI
George explores the economic and social injustices surrounding blood, injustices that have a particularly high impact on women. The result is a fascinating work for all those curious about blood as commodity in the world economy. (LJ 9/15/18)

McCullough, Brian. How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone.

Liveright: Norton. ISBN 9781631493072. TECH
McCullough builds a detailed and highly insightful overview of the influencers and ideas that have shaped the everyday technologies we take for granted, showing how the Internet has infiltrated our homes and lives to the degree it has today. (LJ 9/1/18)

Mann, Charles C. The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions To Shape Tomorrow’s World.

Knopf. ISBN 9780307961693. SCI
Mann studies humankind’s future through the perspectives of environmentalist William Vogt and Green Revolution founder Norman Borlaug. By showing their successes and mistakes, Mann counsels us to hope even as we cannot agree on how best to proceed. (LJ 1/18)

Pyenson, Nick. Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures.

Viking. ISBN 9780735224568. SCI
From the coast of Panama to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Pyenson explores remaining questions about whales while also examining evidence for the evolution of the species from land mammals to the sea creatures we are familiar with today. (LJ 5/15/18)

Quammen, David. The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life.

S. &. S. ISBN 9781476776620. SCI
Quammen leads readers on a winding journey in search of the genetic heritage of life on Earth, introducing scientists who have been at the forefront of the research and discussing their personalities and professional disputes. (LJ 6/15/18)

Rush, Elizabeth. Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore.

Milkweed. ISBN 9781571313676. NAT HIST
Proving that rising sea levels are not just a vision of the future, environmental writer Rush visits several states to see the effects of climate change and meet those impacted by rising waters along with researchers documenting it all. (LJ 5/15/18)

Williams, Paige. The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy.

Hachette. ISBN 9780316382533. NAT HIST
Williams illuminates the for-profit fossil trade, highlighting the people who find, prepare, and auction works of prehistory, including large dinosaurs. She skillfully navigates this unique nexus of paleontology and law along with its notorious black markets. (LJ 8/18)

Committee: Matt Enis, Wade Lee, Stephanie Sendaula

Bauer, Shane. American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey Into the Business of Punishment.

Penguin. ISBN 9780735223585. SOC SCI
Having working as a corrections officer at a private, for-profit prison, Bauer weaves that experience with the long history of for-profit incarceration in the United States. He tells a powerful story at a moment when Americans are asking hard questions about incarceration. (LJ 10/15/18)

Fieseler, Robert W. Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation.

Liveright: Norton. ISBN 9781631491641. SOC SCI
Until the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL, the fire at the Up Stairs Lounge in New Orleans in 1973 was the largest mass murder of gays in America. In this vivid and fast-paced history, journalist Fieseler investigates the tragedy, which tore apart a local community. (LJ 5/1/18)

Mckesson, DeRay. On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope.

Viking. ISBN 9780525560326. SOC SCI
Activist Mckesson lays the foundation for an ongoing discussion on race and civic engagement while reiterating the need to work for a better tomorrow. He acknowledges the gains of the civil rights movement as he recognizes the continued struggle for social justice. (LJ 9/15/18)

McNamara, Michelle. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer.

Harper. ISBN 9780062319784. CRIME
Even in this golden age of true crime, McNamara’s work about the hunt for the Golden State Killer, a murderer and rapist who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s, shines. This mesmerizing thriller is a testament to its late author’s passion for research and a stellar example of how to depict setting. (LJ 3/1/18)

Macy, Beth. Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America.

Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316551243. HEALTH
The intertwined factors that have led to today’s opioid epidemic are told from various perspectives. Beginning with her own community of Roanoke, VA, Macy shows how opioid abuse affects people of all socioeconomic levels, races, and ethnicities. (LJ 4/15/18)

Oluo, Ijeoma. So You Want To Talk About Race.

Seal Pr. ISBN 9781580056779. SOC SCI
After conversations on racism, the privileged often remain blithely unaware, leaving people of color frustrated. Oluo offers not an ineffectual plea for civility but a well-reasoned, deeply personal exploration of systemic injustice. From the teacher every reader will wish they’d had. (LJ 12/17)

Roth, Alisa. Insane: America’s Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness.

Basic: Perseus. ISBN 9780465094196. LAW
More than half of those incarcerated in the United States live with mental illness, and mass incarceration has aggravated the issue. Roth explains how correctional facilities have become mental health providers by default and sheds light on our criminal justice system. (LJ 6/1/18)

Wamariya, Clemantine and Elizabeth Weil. The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes Next.

Crown. ISBN 9780451495327. SOC SCI
When Wamariya was six years old, she fled the Rwandan massacre, eventually ending up in the United States with her older sister, Claire. Her touching story is about power and helplessness, loneliness and identity, and the strange juxtaposition of poverty and privilege. (LJ 3/15/18)

Weiss, Elaine. The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight To Win the Vote.

Viking. ISBN 9780525429722. HIST
Weiss chronicles the crucial struggle to make Tennessee the final state to ratify the 19th Amendment, reveals how suffragettes sometimes compromised racial equality to win white women’s enfranchisement, and details the ongoing battle on voting rights in America. (LJ 2/1/18)

Wides-Munoz, Laura. The Making of a Dream: How a Group of Young Undocumented Immigrants Helped Change What It Means To Be American.

Harper. ISBN 9780062560124. SOC SCI
Wides-Munoz follows a quintet of DREAMers who risked coming out of the shadows—despite the constant threat of detention and deportation—to speak out about their lives. Their personal stories show how they have lobbied to raise awareness for immigration reform.
(LJ 2/15/18)

Committee: Mahnaz Dar, Barrie Olmstead, Stephanie Sendaula

Alou, Felipe. Alou: My Baseball Journey.

Univ. of Nebraska. ISBN 9781496201522.
Alou’s fascinating and humorous story will speak to readers and their struggles. His memoir provides untold insight behind this important family name in baseball. (LJ 4/1/18)

Bass, Amy. One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game That Brought a Divided Town Together.

Hachette. ISBN 9780316396547.
Bass uses the game of soccer to relate the changing Lewiston, ME, community, where several Somali refugees have since settled. A touching work showing how different groups can come together through sports. (LJ 1/18)

Bryant, Howard. The Heritage:
Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism.

Beacon. ISBN 9780807026991.
Bryant covers the history of politics and sports and how they have become intrinsically entwined. One of the most important books of 2018. (LJ 5/1/18)

Kastor, Deena. Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory.

Crown Archetype. ISBN 9781524760755.
An enjoyable and unputdownable book with insight into running and the training involved. A good message on positivity for runners and nonrunners alike. (LJ 3/1/18)

MacMullan, Jackie & others. Basketball: A Love Story.

Crown Archetype. ISBN 9781524761783.
The oral history style of this book by MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, and Dan Klores succeeds in showcasing different voices as they share their experiences in basketball, especially the impact that women’s basketball has made on the game. (LJ 9/1/18)

Stanton, Mike. Unbeaten: Rocky Marciano’s Fight for Perfection in a Crooked World.

Holt. ISBN 9781627799195.
A remarkable biography that paints a clear picture of why people should care about Rocky Marciano and the important impact he made on pop culture. (LJ 5/1/18)

Thomas, Etan. We Matter: Athletes and Activism.

Edge of Sports. ISBN 9781617755941.
Thomas interviews athletes, coaches, and sports personalities as he covers topics related to activism from the sporting realm and how it is perceived in America. A necessary read. (LJ 3/1/18)

Committee: Pam Calfo, Stephanie Sendaula, Jason Steagall

Beam, Cris. I Feel You: The Surprising Power of Extreme Empathy.

Houghton Harcourt. ISBN 9780544558168. PSYCH
An erudite and timely exploration of the cultural history and neurological underpinnings of empathy and how individuals and institutions can employ it to improve society. (LJ 3/1/18)

Dusenbery, Maya. Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine
and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick.

HarperOne. ISBN 9780062470805. HEALTH
Compiling the latest research along with interviews and stories, Dusenbery offers a sobering view of the medical industry’s implicit biases and failure to diagnose and treat women properly. A call to action on the intersection of health and social science. (LJ 2/15/18)

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves To Live Longer.

Twelve: Hachette. ISBN 9781455535910. SOC SCI
The author of Nickel and Dimed takes a highly critical view of the modern health movement, from pricey antiaging creams to marketing campaigns for trendy foods (we’re looking at you, kale), arguing that most products and movements designed to reverse disease or slow the natural aging process are unnecessary. (LJ 3/15/18)

King, Ruth. Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out.

Sounds True. ISBN 9781683640813. HEALTH
An accessible guide to using meditation to address the stress and pain rooted in structural racism.

Lickona, Thomas. How To Raise Kind Kids: And Get Respect, Gratitude, and a Happier Family in the Bargain.

Penguin. ISBN 9780143131946. PARENTING
Acclaimed developmental psychologist Lickona believes that the person we become is largely determined by which “wolf” (compassion or cruelty) we feed by our choices. His advice—popular for its balance of breakthrough advances in brain research and traditional wisdom—centers on fairness and discipline through a parent’s example. (LJ 4/1/18)

Miller, Daniel A. The Gifts of Acceptance: Embracing People and Things as They Are.

Ebb & Flow. ISBN 9780982893050. SELF-HELP
While successful in both business and love, best-selling author Miller was also a “controller extraordinaire” who learned the hard way to accept life on life’s terms. Using Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer as a guide, he encourages people to welcome what is instead of what one hopes the world will be. (LJ 5/1/18).

Nadel, Laurie. The Five Gifts: Discovering Hope, Healing, and Strength When Disaster Strikes.

Health Communications. ISBN 9780757320446. SELF-HELP
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, psychotherapist Nadel lost her home and most of her material possessions. Here she shares her story, alongside accounts from survivors of 9/11, Sandy Hook, and the Rwandan genocide, to offer the gifts, or keys, of humility, empathy, patience, forgiveness, and growth for persevering and thriving. (LJ 5/1/18)

Simmons, Steven P. & others. Brain Health as You Age: A Practical Guide to Maintenance and Prevention.

Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538109168. HEALTH
Experts on brain science, medicine, and elder-care issues offer straightforward and practical recommendations on mental functioning and offer actionable tips to help reduce the odds of cognitive decline.

Storm, Cristien. Empowered Boundaries: Seeking Truth, Setting Boundaries, and Inspiring Social Change.

North Atlantic. ISBN 9781623172749. SELF-HELP
Advocating for effective boundary-setting skills, particularly among vulnerable groups such as people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, and women, social justice activist Storm promotes a mind-set of resilience and self-reliance rooted in community and self-care. (LJ 7/18)

Committee: Barbara Bibel, Deborah Bigelow, Kiera Parrott, Annalisa Pešek, Julia Reffner

View the Slideshow of 2018 Best Books

Graphic Novels

Bessora & Barroux. Alpha: Abidjan to Paris.

Bellevue Literary. ISBN 9781942658405. F
Alpha and several other Africans embark on a harrowing journey from Côte d’Ivoire toward Algeria and across the Mediterranean for a better life in Europe. Narrowly escaping death at every turn, Alpha finally arrives in France, only to discover a new set of challenges. Inspired by true events, this prize-winning chronicle evokes empathy and admiration. (LJ 6/1/18)

Daniels, Ezra Claytan. Upgrade Soul.

Lion Forge. ISBN 9781549302923. SF/Fantasy
An aging sf author and his research scientist wife undergo an experimental gene therapy designed to provide a longer life span and enhanced endurance and intelligence. Things don’t go as planned, resulting in a deeply horrifying and surprisingly thoughtful exploration of identity, aging, and love. (LJ 11/1/18)

Davis, Eleanor. Why Art?

Fantagraphics. ISBN 9781683960829. FINE ARTs
Davis’s personal treatise on the artistic process is unpredictable, far-flung, soul-searching, and ultimately ecstatic. Moving from the drive to create to means of consumption, Davis probes art-making in an inclusive manner, identifying inspiration as a terrifying whirlwind and creation as a source of fierce joy, without confining art’s importance to “great” artists or “perfect” products. (Xpress Reviews 11/9/18)

Dhaliwal, Aminder. Woman World.

Drawn & Quarterly. ISBN 9781770463356. F
In a village called “Beyonce’s Thighs,” years after a bizarre genetic mutation has wiped out all the men on Earth, a group of intrepid women strive to rebuild civilization absent the influence of a patriarchy. The results culminate in a hilarious and highly ambitious first book from Disney animation director Dhaliwal. (LJ 9/1/18)

Drnaso, Nick. Sabrina.

Drawn & Quarterly. ISBN 9781770463165. Thriller
This Man Booker Prize–nominated story of a military office drone supporting his troubled friend whose eponymous girlfriend has disappeared, subtly becomes a chilling indictment of our shock-and-awe news cycle, clickbait psychology, and a distinctly American brand of personal isolation. Heightened by emotionally flat illustrations reminiscent of an intentionally bloodless Daniel Clowes. (LJ 6/1/18)

Krug, Nora. Belonging: A German
Reckons with History and Home.

Scribner. ISBN 9781476796628. Memoir
Krug’s delicate, colorful memoir—part scrapbook, part storybook, thick with archival research and emotional upheaval—searches her family’s past for clues to understanding her German identity and the historical legacy of complicity in the Holocaust that ancestry carries. Tender yet unflinching, Krug’s work rebuilds readers’ notions of home and self. (LJ 9/1/18)

Kupperman, Michael. All the Answers.

Gallery 13: S. & S. ISBN 9781501166433. Memoir
As a child, Joel Kupperman starred in hundreds of episodes of the game show Quiz Kids, resulting in his becoming a world-famous child prodigy. The experience emotionally crippled him. Author Kupperman explores his father’s life with a mixture of melancholy, awe, grief, and rage in this heartbreaking hybrid of biography and memoir. (LJ 6/1/18)

Lutes, Jason. Berlin.

Drawn & Quarterly. ISBN 9781770463264. historical fiction
Lutes’s magnum opus tracks a huge cast of students, journalists, revolutionaries, artists, politicians, and more across the final years of the Weimar Republic, chronicling how that liberal stronghold gave way to extremist thought and fascism. A virtuosic epic on par with any work of literature, released in any genre, this year. (LJ 11/1/18)

Russell, Mark & Mike Feehan. Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles.

DC. ISBN 9781401275211. historical fiction
The year is 1953, the Cold War is raging, and the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Snagglepuss is recast as a phenomenally successful, secretly gay Broadway playwright recalling Tennessee Williams. This entertaining, tragic, and ultimately inspiring work of political art examines the importance of artists in a free society. (LJ 11/1/18)

Tomasi, Peter J. & Sara Duvall. The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York.

ComicsArts: Abrams. ISBN 9781419728525. Hist
Completed in 1883, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge might not be standing today if it weren’t for the quick thinking of a woman named Emily Roebling, who forged ahead with husband Washington’s well-laid plans for the project after he fell dangerously ill while working at the construction site. A fascinating history exquisitely rendered in the graphic medium. (LJ 2/1/18)

Committee: Tom Batten, Emilia Packard, Annalisa Pešek

More of the Best of 2018

Audio & DVDs

Reference

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