The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams of a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions for becoming “lion women.”

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Week of July 29, 2024

Paperback releases for the week of July 29th include CUTTING TEETH by Chandler Baker, a witty, thrilling story of parental love that asks: Is there anything a mother won’t do for her children?; Liz Nugent's STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND, an utterly immersive mystery that follows an enigmatic woman confronting her unknown past; A TWISTED LOVE STORY by Samantha Downing, a reckless, delicious thriller that gives a whole new meaning to the dangers of modern dating; WITNESS, Jamel Brinkley's second collection of short stories, all of which are set in the changing landscapes of contemporary New York City and feature a range of characters --- from children to grandmothers to ghosts --- who live through the responsibility of perceiving and the moral challenge of speaking up or taking action; and the paperback original LOOK IN THE MIRROR, a heart-pounding suspense novel from Catherine Steadman in which escape rooms and “Squid Game” collide.

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Week of July 22, 2024

Paperback releases for the week of July 22nd include THE SPECTACULAR by Fiona Davis, a thrilling story about love, sacrifice and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday; Michael Cunningham’s first novel in nearly a decade, DAY, an exploration of love and loss, the struggles and limitations of family life --- and how we all must learn to live together and apart; J. Randy Taraborrelli's JACKIE, a fresh and often startling look at the life of legendary former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; ALL THE DEAD SHALL WEEP by Charlaine Harris, a family drama of murderous and magical thrills that marks the return of young gunslinging mercenary Lizbeth Rose; and JUST ANOTHER MISSING PERSON, a heart-stopping thriller from Gillian McAllister in which a missing person case unravels deeper, darker secrets that lead a detective to an impossible moral choice.

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Week of July 15, 2024

Paperback releases for the week of July 15th include THE EXCHANGE, a stunning legal thriller from John Grisham that marks the return of Mitch McDeere, the brilliant hero of THE FIRM; UNNATURAL DEATH, the 27th thrilling installment in Patricia Cornwell's Dr. Kay Scarpetta series, in which the chief medical examiner finds herself in a Northern Virginia wilderness examining the remains of two campers wanted by federal law enforcement; BOLDLY GO, an inspiring, revelatory and exhilarating collection of essays from living legend William Shatner, who reflects on the interconnectivity of all things, our fragile bond with nature, and the joy that comes from exploration; and WOMEN WE BURIED, WOMEN WE BURNED, a riveting memoir of survival, self-discovery and forgiveness from award-winning journalist Rachel Louise Snyder, who has been a fierce advocate reporting on the darkest social issues that impact women's lives and now tells her own story.

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Week of July 8, 2024

Paperback releases for the week of July 8th include ALL THE SINNERS BLEED, a powerful and unforgettable novel from S. A. Cosby that revolves around a Black sheriff, a serial killer and a small town ready to combust; DIRTY THIRTY, the appropriately titled 30th installment in Janet Evanovich's mystery series starring bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, who is on the trail of a stolen cache of dirty diamonds; HOW TO SAY BABYLON, the stunning story of Safiya Sinclair’s struggle to break free of her rigid Rastafarian upbringing, ruled by her father’s strict patriarchal views and repressive control of her childhood, to find her own voice as a woman and poet; and NO TWO PERSONS by Erica Bauermeister, which reveals how books can affect us in the most beautiful and unexpected of ways --- and how we are all more closely connected to one another than we might think.

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Week of July 1, 2024

Paperback releases for the week of July 1st include THE BURNOUT, a delightful novel from Sophie Kinsella about two burned-out professionals who meet at a ramshackle resort on the British seaside; Kathy Reichs' THE BONE HACKER, the 22nd high-stakes thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who enters a sinister labyrinth in which a new technology may wreak worldwide havoc; THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN by Tracey Lange, a moving novel about fierce family loyalty, good intentions gone awry, and the consequences of improbable love; EVERGREEN, the follow-up to Naomi Hirahara's CLARK AND DIVISION, in which a Japanese American nurse's aide attempts to find justice for a broken family; and the paperback original BOSS LADY, a funny and inspiring novel from Alli Frank and Asha Youmans featuring a mess of a heroine who is desperate to resolve her past so she can finally rediscover who she was always meant to be.

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July 2024

July's Books on Screen roundup includes the series premieres of "Emperor of Ocean Park" on MGM+, "Lady in the Lake" on Apple TV+, and "Mafia Spies" on Paramount+; the season premieres of AMC's "Snowpiercer" and Starz's "The Serpent Queen"; the season finale of "Presumed Innocent" on Apple TV+; the continuation of HBO's "House of the Dragon"; the films Deadpool & Wolverine and Widow Clicquot; and the DVD releases of Lisa Frankenstein, Tarot and Fast Charlie.

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