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Emma Knight, author of The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus

Arriving at the University of Edinburgh for her first term, Pen knows that her divorced parents back in Canada are hiding something from her. She believes she’ll find the answer here in Scotland, where an old friend of her father’s --- now a famous writer known as Lord Lennox --- lives. When she is invited to spend the weekend at Lord Lennox’s centuries-old estate with his enveloping, fascinating family, Pen begins to unravel her parents’ secret, just as she’s falling in love for the first time. As Pen experiences the sharp shock of adulthood, she comes to rely on herself for the first time in her life.

Week of January 5, 2026

Paperback releases for the week of January 5th include THE LIST by Steve Berry, a gripping novel of suspense about a lawyer in a small Georgia town who finds himself at odds with his new employer; KISS HER GOODBYEthe fourth installment in Lisa Gardner's addictive Frankie Elkin series, in which Frankie is called to Tucson, Arizona, to find a missing Afghan refugee, whose friend suspects she is in grave danger --- before it is too late; Lisa Genova's MORE OR LESS MADDY, a riveting page-turner about a young woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder who rejects the stability and approval found in a traditionally “normal” life for a career in stand-up comedy; SAVE OUR SOULS by Matthew Pearl, the unbelievable true story of a real-life Swiss Family Robinson (and their dog) who faced sharks, shipwreck and betrayal; and FIRST IN THE FAMILY, a deeply moving and lyrical memoir from Jessica Hoppe, who shares an intimate, courageous account of what it means to truly interrupt cycles of harm.