In the mid-2010s, the author had a coveted position at a New York media company, family and friends on both coasts, and a romantic relationship. Under the shiny surface, however, life was not so bright: “I developed at an early age an exhausting habit of pathologically comparing myself to others and never measuring up in […]
Yun’s third novel is set on the Sonata, a stand-in for television’s “Love Boat” of the 1970s and ’80s, here hosting a themed cruise where passengers can hobnob with former cast members of the show, renamed Starlight Voyages. The five-day cruise begins on Sept. 16, switched at the last minute to embark from Boston instead […]
Elevating the view as it goes, this perspective broadener invites viewers to join a trio of bright-eyed young cheetahs chasing a gazelle over a grassy plain, then to peer over distant hills to examine a neatly laid out city bustling with traffic and brown-skinned shoppers. From there, a glimpse of a smaller village leads to […]
In 1725, Captain Vitus Bering, under orders from Peter the Great, embarked on an expedition to find a link between America and Asia. The mission failed, but Bering was unwilling to give up, and so in 1733 began the Great Northern Expedition, charting Russia’s northern shoreline and parts of Alaska and Japan. Told from the […]
No sooner does 10-year-old Tick spot the black sails of the offshore Drenish fleet than he knows it’s time to ride for King’s Keep, the mountain fortress that has always protected the people of Ellia from invaders. On a mission that turns extra urgent after he discovers evidence of a traitor at the Keep, he […]
Lia arrives at Anhame, a crafthall for honing anar—the craft of people with “higher senses.” Lia is a fifth-level anar, meaning she has healing abilities. She can also see others’ inner soulforms, which represent people’s true nature (some take the shapes of animals). That alone puts her on the same level as Anhame’s masters, but […]
Simi and Rupi Naik are estranged sisters, Indian immigrants to the U.S. who find love and salvation through a dramatic sacrifice. Simi has built an enviable life in rural Kentucky, with a nursing career that suits her (even if she has to work three jobs to sustain it) and the love of Prem Gupta, a […]
The titular pair have settled into second grade, but worrywart Shermy has plenty to contend with, from a substitute teacher who doesn’t follow the class schedule to anxieties about Shake’s possible upcoming move. Short sections, organized by month from December through February, contrast Shermy’s orderly nature and “fizzy and loud” Shake’s more laid-back one. On […]
While enjoying an early spring day in Arendelle, Queen Anna, her true love Kristoff, and snowman Olaf witness rocks falling from the nearby mountains and the townspeople running for cover. As the queen, Anna knows it is her responsibility to keep her people safe from harm—even if that means taking a perilous journey into the […]
Seek-and-find aficionados who loved, or who missed sailing on, Nohana’s Penguin Cruise (2025) will want to explore the five stories (as in floors) and 25 stories (as in tales), one per apartment, featured in this Japanese import. Endpapers introduce the 50-plus inhabitants: rabbit kits and adults, plus two cats, two mice, a flock of small […]