Starred Reviews for C. J. Tudor, Jane Smiley, Eileen Garvin, Jo Piazza, and more!

“This opposites-attract meets fake-dating plot has vividly drawn characters, emotionally charged storylines, and a beautiful small-town Michigan setting that will captivate devoted followers of Henry’s (Happy Place) work and convert new readers into ardent fans.” —Library Journal, starred review

“Tudor leverages her snowbound setting for maximum atmosphere, and never lets her high-concept premise overwhelm patient character development. This frostbitten procedural is a bloody good time.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Adams (The Cheat Sheet) dazzles in her latest, a saucy second chance rom-com. Adams injects the fun of fake dating with some serious emotion as the pair revisit their past and bond in the present, validating each other’s struggles and realizing they each love who the other has become.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Smiley has fun writing her protagonist’s smart song lyrics, but it is the lingering, poetic, all-but excessively detailed descriptions of every setting and turn of mind that make this slow-brewing, meditative tale of temperament, choice, and creativity spellbinding.” —Booklist, starred review

“Castle tells a gripping tale, writing with plenty of élan
and finely tuned prose infused with wickedly sharp humor, including banter worthy of William Powell and Myrna Loy at their best.” —Booklist, starred review

“With great compassion and keen appreciation, Garner (The Music of Bees, 2021) gently applies the wisdom found in this simple act of caring to help a marriage mend, a friendship blossom, and a child heal. A stunning affirmation of nature’s power to soothe and rejuvenate.” —Booklist, starred review

“Piazza offers mystery and
romance and great questions about who does what work in society and why, as she brings to life both the realities of 1900s Sicilian women as their husbands left for the U.S. and the present-day discrimination and corruption in Sara’s world. Smart, adventurous, and impossible to put down.” —Booklist, starred review

“This highly recommended work about anthropological museums and creating culturally appropriate exhibits challenges preconceptions and encourages readers to think critically about this complex and important issue.”—Library Journal, starred review

“Readers interested in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II and Asian history will enjoy Alexander’s detailed and beautifully written account.”—Library Journal, starred review

“A thoroughly researched and superbly written study of a remarkable woman. An important addition to film history and cultural studies collections.”—Library Journal, starred review

“This debut is everything fans of memoirs could hope for: a beautifully written, searing and honest tribute to family.”—Library Journal, starred review

“What pervades throughout is a sense of profound, shocked betrayal by a government driven by myopic hysteria and rampant racism.”—Booklist, starred review

“’Drawing was rearranging my brain,’ Baker rejoices; readers will feel enlivened by his quest and ebullience.”—Booklist, starred review

“A brilliant, playful, paradigm-shifting work on the overlooked importance of women’s bodies to human evolution and scientific narratives. Highly recommended for all fans of science writing, especially those interested in women’s issues and human evolution.” —Library Journal Starred Review

“A heartwarming feast for the senses, for fans of Kim Fay’s Love and Saffron, Michiko Aoyama’s What You Are Looking for Is Inside the Library, and Hiro Arikawa’s The Goodbye Cat.” —Library Journal Starred Review

“This layered, atmospheric listen captivates. A must-have for any historical mystery collection.” —Library Journal Starred Review