Christine can’t believe her luck. Gloria Beaufort, founder of the billion-dollar beauty empire Glo, has personally chosen her to cover her grandson’s wedding for Bespoke, the cult fashion magazine that every A-list bride dreams of being featured in. However, Gloria is found dead on the very first morning of the celebratory weekend, and her entire family wants to keep her death a secret and for the wedding to march on. Because of this, she can’t help but wonder if one of them is guilty. There’s the son who’s hiding a damaging lawsuit; the resentful daughter-in-law; the grandson who’s had a few too many run-ins with the law; his ambitious wife who’s hiding more than one secret; and Gloria’s favorite grandchild, the picture-perfect groom. As Christine navigates a world where glamour masks grimy secrets and everyone she meets is a suspect, she realizes that among this glitzy elite, nothing is as it seems.
In 1905, Jane Stanford has made her share of enemies. On the advice of her doctor, she flees to Honolulu and the new Moana hotel. But the island is not as safe as it seems. In 2005, Zoe Finch is a bestselling author who needs a jump start on her next novel, and she makes a split decision to attend a writers' conference at the Moana under an assumed name. She begins having nightmares that feel hauntingly real. Terrified, Zoe enlists the help of mystery writer Dylan Winters to uncover the shocking truth of what happened in the hotel 100 years ago. In 1905, ‘Iliahi Baldwin’s life changes the moment she lands a job at the Moana. Reeling from a tragic loss, she strikes up a friendship with Jane Stanford upon her arrival, which leaves ‘Ili devastated when the unthinkable happens. ‘Ili knows things, but there are powerful people who need the truth to remain hidden, and to cross them could prove disastrous.
This dazzling, genre-defying collection from Jonathan Lethem features seven major stories published since his last collection, along with his best work spanning more than three decades. “The Red Sun School of Thoughts" follows a teenage boy coming to terms with figures of authority and power --- those in both his biological family and in the family he creates for himself. Elsewhere we meet “Super Goat Man,” a down-at-heels bohemian superhero; “The Porn Critic,” whose accidental expertise wrecks his own romantic aspirations; and “Sleepy People,” who pose interpersonal conundrums without ever rousing from their slumber. A DIFFERENT KIND OF TENSION is a container bursting with life and death, couples in trouble, talking animals, and technologies on the fritz. Through it all are people longing to be seen and to connect; to thrive, love and be forgiven.
The multi-million-dollar casino heist is impossible. That’s what makes it irresistible to a legendary robber facing life in prison for his “Final Score.” A college-bound teenager has a side job delivering illegal booze to “The Sunday List” until a crooked cop, a seductive customer, and a fake guru threaten to end his dreams. Two wise guys tell each other a “True Story” over breakfast at a diner. It's all fun until someone else has to pick up the check. An honest patrolman has to choose between his loyalty to the job and his love for a cousin in “The North Wing.” The substance-addicted movie star that Boone Daniels and his crew are hired to babysit in “The Lunch Break”has a problem --- someone wants her dead. Finally, a terrible mistake that a devoted family man makes sends him to prison and on a “Collision” course between the man he wants to be and the killer he’s forced to become.
Desiree, Danielle, January, Monique and Nakia are in their early 20s, and together, they are finding their way through the wilderness, that period of life when the reality of contemporary adulthood swoops in. Desiree and Danielle, sisters whose shared history has done little to prevent their estrangement, nurse bitter family wounds in different ways. January has a relationship with a “good” man she feels ambivalent about, even after her surprise pregnancy. Monique, a librarian and aspiring blogger, finds unexpected online fame after calling out the university where she works for its plans to whitewash history. And Nakia is trying to get her restaurant off the ground, without relying on her upper-middle-class family. These friends must also figure out what they mean to one another --- amid political upheaval, economic and environmental instability, and the increasing volatility of modern American life.
For Buddy and Lillian, the criminal underworld is the only life they’ve ever known. When they’re forced to flee Las Vegas, they end up opening a club in Oklahoma City. Along for the ride are their five children, all of them raised into the family business of crime --- until the day comes when they each have a chance to make their own way in the world.Jeremy, the family’s Golden Boy, will throw himself into the drug-fueled Hollywood in the roaring 1980s.Tallulah, the daredevil, will find herself in the deadly Wild West of post-communist Moscow. Ray wants nothing more than to put down his gun, but following orders is all he’s ever known.Alice, the genius who renounced her life of crime long ago, now sees her law firm being blackmailed and must tap into old skills to save both the company and her own life. And Piggy, a civilian always on the outside looking in on his crime family, desperate to be part of the gang.
Anne Bishop seems like a typical Vassar sophomore --- one of a popular group of privileged WASP friends. None of the girls in her circle has any idea that she’s Jewish, or that her real name is Miriam. Pretending to be a Gentile has made life easier --- as Anne, she no longer suffers the snubs, snide remarks, and daily restrictions Jews face --- after all, it's no longer directed at her. But her secret life is threatened when she becomes fascinated by Delia Goldhush. Delia is sophisticated, stylish, brilliant and unashamedly Jewish --- and seems not to care that she’s an outcast among the other students. Knowing that her growing closeness with Delia would be social suicide if it were discovered, Anne keeps their friendship quiet. Delia seems to understand --- until a cruelty on Anne’s part drives them apart and sends them scattering to other corners of the world, alone and together.
Boston Bearcats rookie Robbie Corrigan is living the dream. He’s made it to the NHL, his best friend/teammate and fellow “orgasm donor” is his roomie --- and the women of Boston love them both. Life is sweet, until he meets Skylar Paige, division one softball pitcher, and the one member of the opposite sex immune to his charms. Skylar pegs him as a filthy player and wants nothing to do with him. When he discovers she’s carrying a serious torch for her brother’s best friend, Robbie knows he should just go back to clubbing and whipped cream bikini parties, but he can’t seem to leave Skylar to flounder on her romantic quest to land another man. Nor can he miss out on the opportunity to spend time with her and hopefully redeem himself. Before Robbie knows it, he’s agreed to be Skylar’s fake boyfriend at an upcoming family wilderness competition where her crush will be in attendance. What could go wrong?
Twenty-eight-year-old Kiki Banjo hosts the popular podcast “The HeartBeat,” solving romantic conundrums and dishing out life advice. Behind the scenes, though, career setbacks and a devastating breakup have left her hanging on by a thread. As she’s preparing to be the Maid of Honor in her best friend’s wedding, everything starts to unravel, and Kiki is left wondering if she ever had the answers. Then Kiki finds herself face-to-face with the Best Man, her ex-boyfriend, Malakai. While Kiki is approaching rock bottom, Malakai has been on the rise as a filmmaker. Both are hell-bent on ignoring the smoldering chemistry between them, but they can’t ignore the spark that’s only getting hotter. They just have to get through the summer. So why does it feel like they're playing with fire?
Two Black writers are trying to find peace and belonging in a world that is riven with gun violence. One is on a global book tour after a big prize win; the other is set to give a speech at a school that has suffered a shooting. As their two storylines merge, truths and antics abound in equal measure: characters drink booze out of an award trophy; menaces lurk in the shadows; tiny French cars putter around the countryside; handguns seem to hover in the air; and dreams endure against all odds.
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Coming Soon
Curious about what books will be released in the months ahead so you can pre-order or reserve them? Then click on the months below.
August's Books on Screen roundup includes the films The Thursday Murder Club, My Oxford Year and Night Always Comes on Netflix, the Providence Falls trilogy on Hallmark, The Map That Leads to You on Prime Video, and She Rides Shotgun in theaters; the conclusion of "And Just Like That..." on HBO Max and "The Institute" on MGM+; the series premieres of "Outlander: Blood of My Blood" on STARZ and "The Terminal List: Dark Wolf" on Prime Video; the season premieres of "The Marlow Murder Club" on PBS "Masterpiece" and "My Life with the Walter Boys" on Netflix; and the DVD/Blu-ray releases of The King of Kings and How to Train Your Dragon.