M. L. Rio

Paperback (1 to 2 lbs)

California

A Novel

“Much like Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, M. L. Rio’s sparkling debut is a richly layered story of love, friendship, and obsession...will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments.” —Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest "Nerdily (and winningly) in love with Shakespeare...Readable, smart.” —New York Times Book Review On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extras. But in their fourth and final year, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students’ world of make-believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent. If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle's Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, "A well-written and gripping ode to the stage...A fascinating, unorthodox take on rivalry, friendship, and truth."

If We Were Villains

2548e768-f208-420f-ba23-c0c3606640dd-1

Lucy Foley

From London to Corsica to Paris--as a young woman pursues the truth about her late mother, two captivating love stories unfurl. Kate Darling's enigmatic mother--a once-famous ballerina--has passed away, leaving Kate bereft. When her grandmother falls ill and bequeaths to Kate a small portrait of a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Kate's mother, Kate uncovers a mystery that may upend everything she thought she knew. Kate's journey to find the true identity of the woman in the portrait takes her to some of the world's most iconic and indulgent locales, revealing a love story that began in the wild 1920s and was disrupted by war and could now spark new love for Kate. Alternating between Kate's present-day hunt and voices from the past, THE BOOK OF LOST AND FOUND casts light on family secrets and love-both lost and found.

The Book of Lost and Found

0d43a507-0db8-43e0-83a8-285e4fb7ef8e-1

Hazel Hayes

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

One of E! News' 13 Books to Read This September | One of Bookish's Debuts to Read in the Second Half of 2021 | One of Medium's Best Releases Out Today “Hazel Hayes writes with such honesty and casual confidence and flowing dialogue, you feel you are overhearing it rather than reading it. The writing sparkles with wit and a poignant emotional reality. I love it.”—Matt Haig, bestselling author of The Midnight Library “A smart, touching, time-bending romance. Funny and affecting.”—David Nicholls, bestselling author of One Day and Sweet Sorrow For anyone who has loved and lost, and lived to tell the tale, this gorgeously written debut is a love story told in reverse, a modern novel with the heart of a classic: truthful, tragic, and ultimately full of hope. Out of Love begins at the end. A couple call it quits after nearly five years, and while holding a box of her ex-boyfriend’s belongings, the young woman wonders: How could they have spent so long together? When did they fall out of love? Were there good times before the bad? These are the questions we obsess over when a relationship ends, even when obsessing can do no good. But instead of moving forward through the emotional fallout of a break-up, Out of Love moves backward in time, weaving together an already unraveled tapestry, from tragic ending to magical first kiss. Each chapter jumps further into the past, mining their history for the days and details that might help us understand love; how it happens and why it sometimes falls apart. Readers of Normal People; Goodbye, Vitamin; and One Day will adore this bittersweet romance, a sparkling debut that you won’t want to miss.

Out of Love

bde51a49-e931-4665-9db9-151519a84f27-1

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow 

Courtney Peppernell

When a dark storm settled upon the earth, you lost many things - your hope, your strength, yourself. One day, in the middle of the darkness, you meet a spirit, washed from the ocean onto the shore. The spirit hands you a key. 

           

It is time to find the way back home. 


Returning with her newest poetry book, bestselling author Courtney Peppernell combines storytelling, poetry, and prose in a uniquely inspirational way. Filled with anecdotes, messages, and feelings from the pandemic that changed the world, The Way Back Home is a tribute to rebuilding our lives. Divided into sections that draw on themes of courage, resilience, purpose, and hope, Peppernell once again walks us through an illuminating journey of the heart, mind, and soul. 

 

Discover what it means to continue forward in life, despite such loss, and find the way back home.

The Way Back Home

298fdc15-0823-4ffb-abc5-2c0a07c836a2-1

Liz Braswell

A Twisted Tale

What if Aladdin had never found the lamp? This paperback edition of the first book in the A Twisted Tale line will explore a dark and daring version of Disney's Aladdin. Plus, it includes an excerpt of book two, Once Upon a Dream, a twist on Disney's Sleeping Beauty! When Jafar steals the Genie's lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war. What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again. Praise for A Whole New World: "A magic carpet ride of a book! A fun and unpredictable retelling of the classic Aladdin story, a must-read for all of us Disney fans!" -Melissa de la Cruz

A Whole New World

bb227051-858c-40ee-9d65-abd644242ea1-1

What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? Once Upon a Dream marks the second book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. It should be simple--a dragon defeated, a slumbering princess in a castle, a prince poised to wake her. But when the prince falls asleep as his lips touch the fair maiden's, it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over. With a desperate fairy's last curse controlling her mind, Princess Aurora must escape from a different castle of thorns and navigate a dangerously magical landscape--created from her very own dreams. Aurora isn't alone--a charming prince is eager to join her quest, and old friends offer their help. But as Maleficent's agents follow her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are and, moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?

Once upon a Dream

53701087-0ff2-4bb9-a998-bda6b6823d4e-1

Jerry Spinelli

Still moping months after being dumped by her Arizona boyfriend Leo, fifteen-year-old Stargirl, a home-schooled free spirit, writes "the world's longest letter" to Leo, describing her new life in Pennsylvania. Reprint.

Love, Stargirl

7b85c606-84e5-453b-a59d-56f570452474-1

Markus Zusak

After capturing a bank robber, nineteen-year-old cab driver Ed Kennedy begins receiving mysterious messages that direct him to addresses where people need help, and he begins getting over his lifelong feeling of worthlessness.

I Am the Messenger

7813b15d-b4c6-4c9a-aeee-6c742d5e1317-1

Dean Atta

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

A fierce coming-of-age verse novel about identity and the power of drag, from acclaimed UK poet and performer Dean Atta. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds, and Kacen Callender. Michael is a mixed-race gay teen growing up in London. All his life, he's navigated what it means to be Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican--but never quite feeling Greek or Black enough. As he gets older, Michael's coming out is only the start of learning who he is and where he fits in. When he discovers the Drag Society, he finally finds where he belongs--and the Black Flamingo is born. Told with raw honesty, insight, and lyricism, this debut explores the layers of identity that make us who we are--and allow us to shine.

The Black Flamingo

b36e0d03-2ead-4d91-b3b4-12d2f54171d6-1

Amicus Arcane

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Midnight at Madame Leota's

The Haunted Mansion's resident librarian, Amicus Arcane, has returned with another set of spooky stories to share. Follow along with him as he tells new terrifying tales while leading the Mansion's newest visitor to a secret seance with the mysterious Madame Leota.

Tales from the Haunted Mansion: Volume II

1ffc3434-d234-4562-b6db-958578a56852-1

The Fearsome Foursome

Welcome, foolish mortals, to Disney Press' spookiest chapter book series yet: Tales from the Haunted Mansion! Based on the attractions from the Disney Parks, each new book tells the story of one of the Haunted Mansion's 999 ghosts. With eerie illustrations throughout and a beautiful three-piece cloth cover, the books are designed to look like they came straight from the library in the Haunted Mansion. Tales from the Haunted Mansion is a fun, spooky ride, just like the attraction from the Disney Parks. And if readers are familiar with the ride, they'll see elements of it throughout the entire story, from items straight of the Mansion (are those pictures stretching?) to lyrics from the narration that is heard in each Doom Buggy. In this bone-chilling book, you will hear the terrifying tales of the Fearsome Foursome--four kids who look to out-scare each other. But just wait until they hear my spooky stories. Who am I? I am Amicus Arcane, your librarian and host. Your Ghost Host. So read on... if you dare!

Tales from the Haunted Mansion: Volume I

56f15d0b-1eb9-41bc-a15b-d61928da6b79-1

Brothers Grimm

A Collection of Classic Fairy Tales

This beautifully illustrated collection of 30 tales from far and wide includes... Snow White Hansel and Grethel Cinderella The Frog Prince Rumpelstiltskin The Bremen Town Musicians The Elves Little Red Cap The Fisherman and His Wife The Sleeping Beauty Tom Thumb Rapunzel. . . and many more. “Once upon a time . . .” Four simple words that, after more than two centuries, still have the ability to transport readers to lands of mystery, intrigue, and betrayal, life and death, love and abandon. Timeless are the tales of the Brothers Grimm who, in an effort to preserve native folklore, unwittingly crafted a cornerstone of Western literature. With this book of fairy tales, beautifully illustrated by artist Kevin Tong, reacquaint yourself with the stories and characters you know and love. Run through the forest with Little Red Cap. Attend the ball with Cinderella. Eat an apple with Snow White. From witches to fairies, evil queens to kindly kings, frog princes and sleeping beauties, the Grimm tales are classics that are truly meant to be shared with young and old alike. With a foreword written by the creators of ABC’s show Once Upon a Time, we see that these classic tales continue to endure and inspire more storytelling. The series brings some of these classic characters to life in a bold reimagination of the fairy tale world. We invite you to reacquaint yourself with these magical stories and be transported once again with Once Upon a Time.

Once upon a Time

35189562-5a89-4a2c-ac64-a51c14a2f05c-1

Anissa Gray

"If you enjoyed An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, read The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, ... an absorbing commentary on love, family and forgiveness."--Washington Post One of the most anticipated reads of 2019 from Vogue, Vanity Fair, Washington Post, Buzzfeed, Bustle, HelloGiggles and Cosmo! "The Mothers meets An American Marriage" (HelloGiggles) in this dazzling debut novel about mothers and daughters, identity and family, and how the relationships that sustain you can also be the ones that consume you. The Butler family has had their share of trials--as sisters Althea, Viola, and Lillian can attest--but nothing prepared them for the literal trial that will upend their lives. Althea, the eldest sister and substitute matriarch, is a force to be reckoned with and her younger sisters have alternately appreciated and chafed at her strong will. They are as stunned as the rest of the small community when she and her husband Proctor are arrested, and in a heartbeat the family goes from one of the most respected in town to utter disgrace. The worst part is, not even her sisters are sure exactly what happened. As Althea awaits her fate, Lillian and Viola must come together in the house they grew up in to care for their sister's teenage daughters. What unfolds is a stunning portrait of the heart and core of an American family in a story that is as page-turning as it is important.

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls

f25fc29f-5005-443e-96f0-2df07995a8c6-1

Marcel Theroux

The acclaimed author of the "sublime" (The New York Times) Far North, a finalist for the National Book Award, returns with a mesmerizing novel about a North Korean boy whose life is irrevocably changed when he stumbles across a mysterious Western book--a guide to Dungeons & Dragons.

Ten-year-old Jun-su is a bright and obedient boy whose only desire is to be a credit to his family, his nation, and most importantly, his Dear Leader. However, when he discovers a copy of The Dungeon Master's Guide, left behind in a hotel room by a rare foreign visitor, a new and colorful world opens up to him.

With the help of an English-speaking teacher, Jun-su deciphers the rules of the famous role-playing game and his imaginary adventures sweep him away from the harsh reality of a famine-stricken North Korea. Over time, the game leads Jun-su on a spellbinding and unexpected journey through the hidden layers of his country, toward precocious success, glory, love, betrayal, prison, a spell at the pinnacle of the North Korean elite, and an extraordinary kind of redemption.

A vivid, uplifting, and deeply researched novel, The Sorcerer of Pyongyang is a love story and a tale of survival against the odds. Inspired by the testimony of North Korean refugees and drawing on the author's personal experience of North Korea, it explores the power of empathy and imagination in a society where they are dangerous liabilities.

The Sorcerer of Pyongyang

3d711454-1428-491f-9712-4c4fa9a0c6fc-1

Coop, a master thief, sort of gone legit, saved the world from an ancient doomsday device – heroism that earned him a gig working for the department of peculiar science, a fear some top government secret agency that police is the odd and strange.

Now Woolrich, Coop’s boss at the DOPS, has coupe breaking into a traveling antiquity show to steal a sarcophagus containing the mummy of a powerful Egyptian wizard named Harkhuf. With the help of his pals Morty, Giselle, and a professor that’s half cat, half robotic octopus, Coop pulls off the heist without a hitch.

It’s not Coop’s fault that when DOPS opened the sarcophagus, they didn’t find the mummy they were expecting. Well, it was the right mummy, but it wasn’t exactly dead – and now it’s escaped, using a type of magic. The organization hasn’t encountered before. Being a boss, Woolrich blames his underling for the screw up and wants coop to find the missing Harkhuf and make it right, pronto .

The Wrong Dead Guy

Sarah Perry

Costa Book Award Finalist and the Waterstones (UK) Book of the Year 2016 "I loved this book. At once numinous, intimate and wise, The Essex Serpent is a marvelous novel about the workings of life, love and belief, about science and religion, secrets, mysteries, and the complicated and unexpected shifts of the human heart—and it contains some of the most beautiful evocations of place and landscape I’ve ever read. It is so good its pages seem lit from within. As soon as I’d finished it I started reading it again."—Helen MacDonald, author of H is for Hawk An exquisitely talented young British author makes her American debut with this rapturously acclaimed historical novel, set in late nineteenth-century England, about an intellectually minded young widow, a pious vicar, and a rumored mythical serpent that explores questions about science and religion, skepticism, and faith, independence and love. When Cora Seaborne’s brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was not a happy one. Wed at nineteen, this woman of exceptional intelligence and curiosity was ill-suited for the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space in the wake of the funeral, Cora leaves London for a visit to coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive eleven-year old son, Francis, and the boy’s nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend. While admiring the sites, Cora learns of an intriguing rumor that has arisen further up the estuary, of a fearsome creature said to roam the marshes claiming human lives. After nearly 300 years, the mythical Essex Serpent is said to have returned, taking the life of a young man on New Year’s Eve. A keen amateur naturalist with no patience for religion or superstition, Cora is immediately enthralled, and certain that what the local people think is a magical sea beast may be a previously undiscovered species. Eager to investigate, she is introduced to local vicar William Ransome. Will, too, is suspicious of the rumors. But unlike Cora, this man of faith is convinced the rumors are caused by moral panic, a flight from true belief. These seeming opposites who agree on nothing soon find themselves inexorably drawn together and torn apart—an intense relationship that will change both of their lives in ways entirely unexpected. Hailed by Sarah Waters as "a work of great intelligence and charm, by a hugely talented author," The Essex Serpent is "irresistible . . . you can feel the influences of Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, and Hilary Mantel channeled by Perry in some sort of Victorian séance. This is the best new novel I’ve read in years" (Daily Telegraph, London).

The Essex Serpent

385e96c1-6ef1-41f1-834c-0f448ba76b24-1

Kim Newman

A week after Mother found her sleeping on the ceiling, Amy Thomsett is delivered to her new school, Drearcliff Grange in Somerset. Although it looks like a regular boarding school, Amy learns that Drearcliff girls are special, the daughters of criminal masterminds, outlaw scientists and master magicians. Several of the pupils also have special gifts like Amy’s, and when one of the girls in her dormitory is abducted by a mysterious group in black hoods, Amy forms a secret, superpowered society called the Moth Club to rescue their friend. They soon discover that the Hooded Conspiracy runs through the School, and it's up to the Moth Club to get to the heart of it.

The Secrets of Drearcliff Grange School

9d957d00-e3e0-4b02-a38a-6e25b1da9322-1

Kat Rosenfield

A Knives Out-style whodunnit with a twist of Taylor Jenkins Reid, You Must Remember This is an immersive Gothic mystery, with a long-ago love affair, icy death, and a rich family gone bad, from Kat Rosenfield, the acclaimed author of No One Will Miss Her.

On Christmas Eve, eighty-five-year-old Miriam Caravasios steps onto the ice that surrounds her seaside estate on Maine's Mount Desert Island. As a younger woman, she used to steal out on winter nights to meet her lover, walking across the frozen reach to their secret meeting place. She knows the way--but not the year. Miriam, her mind clouded by dementia, doesn't hear the snap of thin ice until it's too late.

Was it an accident? Suicide? Or worse: did someone lure the old woman onto the frozen reach, to her death?

There are plenty of suspects; Miriam's fractured and complicated family has gathered in their Bar Harbor mansion to celebrate what everyone believed would likely be the matriarch's last Christmas. The guests include Delphine, Miriam's granddaughter, a frightened and insecure young woman who adored her grandmother, and Miriam's live-in aide, Adam, whom Delphine has been secretly dating.  There is Miriam's former housekeeper, Shelly Dyer, who left the family's employment years ago under mysterious circumstances. There are Miriam's children: Theodora, who gave up everything to assume the role of caretaker; Diana, who seems just a little too eager to inherit her share of the estate; and Richard, whose longtime grudge against his mother has curdled into gleeful contempt at her deterioration. 

But it's Delphine who comes in for the greatest scrutiny when they learn the shocking news that Miriam's will cut off her children, leaving her granddaughter almost everything.

As tensions rise, Delphine is emboldened to start asking questions: not just about her grandmother's death, but about her life, and the love story that defined it as the rest of her memories faded. The trail will take her into the past, into dark places -- and eventually, onto thin ice.

You Must Remember This

c947a0c4-a4e4-4588-901d-af862f427fea-1

Ariella Elovic

A Head-To-Toe Memoir

A Beat Most Anticipated Graphic Novel of Fall 2020

The funny, exuberant, inspiring antidote to body shame--a full-color graphic memoir celebrating the imperfections of the author's female body in all its glory.

Too tall. Too short. Too fat. Too thin. The message is everywhere--we need to pluck, wax, shrink, and hide ourselves, to not take up space, emotionally or literally; women are never "just right." Well, Ariella Elovic, feminist and illustrator extraordinaire, has had enough. In her full-color graphic memoir Cheeky, she takes an inspiring and exuberant head-to-toe look at her own body self-consciousness, and body part by body part, finds her way back to herself.

How does Ariella learn not to see herself as a never-finished DIY project, but to accept and even love the physical attributes society taught her to hide? How does a mirror go from a "black hole of critique" to a "who's that girl" moment? Essential to her journey is her posse of girlfriends, her "yentas." Together, they discover that sharing "imperfections" and some of the gross and "unsightly" things our bodies produce can be a source of endless laughs and deep bonding. It helps to have a team with some outside perspectives to keep our inner bullies in check.

Charming and hilarious, full of empathy and candor, and gorgeously illustrated, Cheeky aims to inspire all of us to embrace our bodies, flaws and all, as well as our bodies' needs, desires, and inherent power.

Cheeky

c8c4bd50-e3ae-43d7-a15f-88cef373aaa8-1

Paula Hawkins

Heavy Hardcover (2 to 4 lbs)

The Girl on the Train

22135942-a081-45b2-a059-a80c16a36de2-1

Trevor Noah

Stories from a South African Childhood

The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime story of one man's coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother--his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love. Advance praise for Born a Crime "[A] substantial collection of staggering personal essays . . . Incisive, funny, and vivid, these true tales are anchored to his portrait of his courageous, rebellious, and religious mother who defied racially restrictive laws to secure an education and a career for herself--and to have a child with a white Swiss/German even though sex between whites and blacks was illegal. . . . [Trevor Noah's] electrifying memoir sparkles with funny stories . . . and his candid and compassionate essays deepen our perception of the complexities of race, gender, and class."--Booklist (starred review) "A gritty memoir . . . studded with insight and provocative social criticism . . . with flashes of brilliant storytelling and acute observations."--Kirkus Reviews

Born a Crime

3967a9d3-37d1-46cc-b050-8b6a41b19d4c-1

The Rules of Magic

Margot Edmonds

Ella Clark

Native American Legends

This wonderfully colorful and appealing anthology gathers more than 130 Native American legends, many told to the authors by elder storytellers and tribal historians.

Browse by categories

M. L. Rio

If We Were Villains

Lucy Foley

The Book of Lost and Found

Hazel Hayes

Out of Love

Gabrielle Zevin

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Courtney Peppernell

The Way Back Home

Liz Braswell

A Whole New World

Liz Braswell

Once upon a Dream

Jerry Spinelli

Love, Stargirl

Markus Zusak

I Am the Messenger

Dean Atta

The Black Flamingo

Amicus Arcane

Tales from the Haunted Mansion: Volume II

Amicus Arcane

Tales from the Haunted Mansion: Volume I

Brothers Grimm

Once upon a Time

Anissa Gray

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls

Marcel Theroux

The Sorcerer of Pyongyang

Richard Kadrey

The Wrong Dead Guy

Sarah Perry

The Essex Serpent

Kim Newman

The Secrets of Drearcliff Grange School

Kat Rosenfield

You Must Remember This

Ariella Elovic

Cheeky

Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train

Trevor Noah

Born a Crime

Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic

Margot Edmonds; Ella Clark

Voices of the Winds

Get The App