Leisure Reads

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK * A searingly original debut about two sisters and their flight from genocide--which takes them from Hollywood to Paris to San Francisco's Cannery Row--each haunted along the way by the ghosts of their murdered friends, who are not yet done telling their stories "Gripping and spellbinding...Unforgettable."--Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half * "Stunning...A sweeping yet intimate look at love, sisterhood, and resistance in the face of devastation." --Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake * "A bilingual, mythological, and original debut about resistance and survival." --Vulture El Salvador, 1923. Graciela, a young girl growing up on a volcano in a community of Indigenous women, is summoned to the capital, where she is claimed as an oracle for a rising dictator. There she meets Consuelo, the sister she has never known, who was stolen from their home before Graciela was born. The two spend years under the cruel El Gran Pendejo's regime, unwillingly helping his reign of terror, until genocide strikes the community from which they hail. Each believing the other to be dead, they escape, fleeing across the globe, reinventing themselves until fate ultimately brings them back together in the most unlikely of ways... Endlessly surprising, vividly imaginative, bursting with lush life, The Volcano Daughters charts a new history and mythology of El Salvador, fiercely bringing forth voices that have been calling out for generations.

A stunning debut novel of music, intoxication, and betrayal inspired by the true story of Anna Maria della Pietà, a Venetian orphan and violin prodigy who studied under Antonio Vivaldi and ultimately became his star musician--and his biggest muse. "THE INSTRUMENTALIST is more than a history lesson--with this novel, Constable has crafted an engrossing tale about an unexpected coup de musique." --THE NEW YORK TIMES Anna Maria della Pietà was destined to drown in one of Venice's canals. Instead, she became the greatest violinist of the 18th century. Anna Maria has only known life inside the Pietà, an orphanage for children born of prostitutes. But the girls of the Pietà are lucky in a sense: most babies born of their station were drowned in the city's canals. And despite the strict rules, the girls are given singing and music lessons from an early age. The most promising musicians have the chance to escape the fate of the rest: forced marriage to anyone who will have them. Anna Maria is determined to be the best violinist there is--and whatever Anna Maria sets out to do, she achieves. After all, the stakes for Anna could not be higher. But it is 1704 and she is a girl. The pursuit of her ambition will test everything she holds dear, especially when it becomes clear that her instructor, Antonio Vivaldi, will teach Anna everything he knows--but not without taking something in return. From the opulent palaces of Venice to its mud-licked canals, The Instrumentalist is a portrait of opportunities dangled only to be snatched away. It is the story of one woman's irrepressible ambition and rise to the top. And it is the story of the orphans of Venice who overcame destitution and abuse to make music, and whose contributions to some of the most important works of classical music, including "The Four Seasons," have been overlooked for too long. For fans of The Queen's Gambit and Fingersmith, The Instrumentalist is a searing exploration of art and ambition, genius and exploitation, and loss and triumph.

"A high-stakes, high-drama mystery...led by a plucky, determined hero I would have followed anywhere...[A] romantic, delightful romp!" --Mackenzi Lee, New York Times bestselling author of A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue A down-on-his-luck actor and an English lord reluctantly team up to solve the murder of Christopher Marlowe in this Shakespearean-era "quippy, heart-wrenching debut...ideal for fans of Mackenzi Lee and F.T. Lukens" (Kirkus Reviews). London, 1593. Sixteen-year-old Will Hughes is busy working on Shakespeare's stage, stuffing his corsets with straw and pretending to be someone else. Offstage, he's playing a part, too. The son of traitors, Will is desperate to keep his identity secret--or risk being killed in the bloody queen's imperial schemes. All he wants is to lay low until he earns enough coin to return to his family. But when his mentor, the famous playwright Christopher Marlowe, is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Will's plans are hopelessly dashed. What's worse, Marlowe was a spy for the queen, tasked with stalking a killer rumored to be part of an elusive order of assassins, and his secrets and untimely death have put Will under a harsh spotlight. Then, when Will unwittingly foils an attempt on the queen's life, she names him her next spymaster. Now, to avoid uncomfortable questions, prison, or an even more terrible fate, Will reluctantly starts his new career, which--yes--will secure him the resources to help his family...but at what cost? Adding insult to injury is the young Lord James Bloomsbury, Will's new comrade in arms, whose entitled demeanor and unfairly handsome looks get under Will's skin immediately. Together, the two hunt the cunning assassin, defend the queen's life, and pray to keep their own...all while an unexpected connection blossoms between them.

A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come from outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger. Lennon Carter's life is falling apart.    Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because--like everyone else at the school--she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.   After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion's heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton's lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.  As Lennon continues in her studies, her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns, for it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption...and it's a test she's terrified she's going to fail.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the wickedest of them all? Snow White's dark queen tells her side of the story in this queer, witchy reimagining of the classic fairy tale from the author of Malice. Legends tell of a witch who became a queen-the heartless villain in the story of Snow White. But now the wicked queen is stepping out of Snow White's shadow to become the heroine of her own legend. Her real "once upon a time" begins when she is just Ayleth, a young witch who lives in the forest with her coven. The witches practice their magic in secret, hiding from the White King and his brutal war against witchcraft. Ayleth, however, faces a war of her own. Her magical gifts have yet to reveal themselves, and as the threat of the Royal Huntsmen intensifies, Ayleth fears she will never become the witch her coven needs. To prove herself, Ayleth sets out on a perilous quest that sends her to the White Palace, a decadent world of drama and deceit. There, Ayleth encounters an unlikely figure from her past- Jacquetta, a witch who once held Ayleth's heart-and betrayed her. As events at the palace escalate, Ayleth finds herself caught in the web of the White King, whose dark charisma is as dangerous as the sinister force that seems to be haunting the palace-and perhaps even Ayleth herself. With the threat of discovery looming, Ayleth and Jacquetta must set aside the wounds of their past and work together to survive. As she uncovers the secrets of the White Court-and those of her own heart-Ayleth must find the strength to transform into someone she never imagined she could be. A powerful witch, the very wickedest of them all.

The New York Times Bestseller "An odyssey of action and awe." --The New York Times "A wry and tender love-letter to the best of being human." --Benedict Cumberbatch The remarkable next novel from Matt Haig, the author of #1 New York Times bestseller The Midnight Library, with more than nine million copies sold worldwide "What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don't understand yet..." When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan. Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend's life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past. Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY * Three estranged siblings return to their family home in New York after their beloved sister's death in this "deeply nuanced and compelling" (Vogue) novel, from the acclaimed author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein. "A beautiful portrait of grief and the world-shaping bond sisters share."--Real Simple The three Blue sisters are exceptional--and exceptionally different. Avery, the eldest and a recovering heroin addict turned strait-laced lawyer, lives with her wife in London; Bonnie, a former boxer, works as a bouncer in Los Angeles following a devastating defeat; and Lucky, the youngest, models in Paris while trying to outrun her hard-partying ways. They also had a fourth sister, Nicky, whose unexpected death left the family reeling. A year later, as they each navigate grief, addiction, and ambition, they find they must return to New York to stop the sale of the apartment they were raised in. But coming home is never as easy as it seems. As the sisters reckon with the disappointments of their childhood and the loss of the only person who held them together, they realize that the greatest secrets they've been keeping might not have been from one another but from themselves. Imbued with Coco Mellors's signature combination of humor and heart, Blue Sisters is a story of what it takes to keep living after loss--and, ultimately, to fall in love with life again.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the beloved author of Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, and The Husband's Secret comes a moving novel of love, marriage, family, and trying to find certainty in a fragile world.   "A riveting story so wild you don't know how she'll land it, and then she does, on a dime."--Anne Lamott Life is full of twists and turns you never see coming. But what if you did?   The plane is jam-packed. Every seat is taken. So of course the flight is delayed! Flight attendant Allegra Patel likes her job--she's generally happy with her life, even if she can't figure out why she hooks up with a man she barely speaks to--but today is her twenty-eighth birthday. She can think of plenty of things she'd rather be doing than placating a bunch of grumpy passengers.   There's the well-dressed man in seat 4C who is compulsively checking his watch, desperate not to miss his eleven-year-old daughter's musical. Further back, a mother of two is frantically trying to keep her toddler entertained and her infant son quiet. How did she ever think being a stay-at-home mom would be easier than being a lawyer? Ethan is lost in thought; he's flying back from his first funeral. A young couple has just gotten married; she's still wearing her wedding dress. An emergency room nurse is looking forward to traveling the world once she retires in a few years, it's going to be so much fun! If they ever get off the tarmac. . . .   Suddenly a woman none of them know stands up. She makes predictions about how and when everyone on board will die. Some dismiss her. Others will do everything they can to make sure her prophecies do not come to pass. All of them will be forever changed.   How would you live your life if you thought you knew how it would end? Would you love who you love or try to love someone else? Would you stay married? Would you stop drinking? Would you call up your ex-best friend you haven't spoken to in years? Would you quit your job?   Intricately plotted, with the wonderful wit Liane Moriarty has become famous for, Here One Moment brilliantly looks at friends, lovers, and family and how we manage to hold onto them in our harried modern lives.

From the acclaimed author of The Longest Ride and The Notebook comes an emotional, powerful novel about wondering if we can change--or even make our peace with--the path we've taken. "Sparks is superb at what he does. The setting is postcard perfect. The characters are immensely likable. . . . This is a tidy miracle you can count on."--The Washington Post Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, following in his grandfather's military footsteps to become an Army Ranger. His whole life has been spent abroad, and he is the proverbial rolling stone: happiest when off on his next adventure, zero desire to settle down.  But when his grandmother passes away, her last words to him are find where you belong. She also drops a bombshell, telling him the name of the father he never knew--and where to find him. Tanner is due at his next posting soon, but his curiosity is piqued, and he sets out for Asheboro, North Carolina, to ask around. He's been in town less than twenty-four hours when he meets Kaitlyn Cooper, a doctor and single mom. They both feel an immediate connection; Tanner knows Kaitlyn has a story to tell, and he wants to hear it. To Kaitlyn, Tanner is mysterious, exciting--and possibly leaving in just a few weeks. Meanwhile, nearby, eighty-three-year-old Jasper lives alone in a cabin bordering a national forest. With only his old dog, Arlo, for company, he lives quietly, haunted by a tragic accident that took place decades before. When he hears rumors that a white deer has been spotted in the forest--a creature of legend that inspired his father and grandfather--he becomes obsessed with protecting the deer from poachers. As these characters' fates orbit closer together, none of them is expecting a miracle . . . but that may be exactly what is about to alter their futures forever.