Starred Reviews for Susan Morrison, Sanjena Sathian, Will Bardenwerper, Brendan Slocumb, and more!

By Kate McManus | February 12 2025 | Starred Reviews

With starred reviews from publications including Library Journal, Booklist, and AudioFile — your patrons will want to read these much-anticipated books that reviewers are raving about.

Fiction

A Novel

“This well-crafted, mysterious novel with some dystopian twists is a worthwhile read. Fans of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale will devour it.” —Library Journal, starred review

Mar 11, 2025
Hardcover
Penguin Press

A Novel

“Gagnon’s (Love You, Mean It) smart, fast-paced romance successfully blends elements of science fiction and relationship fiction to create a unique and thoughtful love story.” —Library Journal, starred review

May 13, 2025
Paperback
Dell

“This Holmes and Watson–like investigative duo are compelling to follow, and the truly epic fantasy world where the series is set, with its falling empire, corrupt politics, and magic pharmacopeia engineered from monster blood, takes the familiarity of mystery and creates a truly fantastic fever-dream of a world and a story.” —Library Journal, starred review

Apr 01, 2025
Hardcover
Del Rey

“The clever, witty, and powerful women at the heart of this story make for a promising start to an adventurous new series from Matthews (“Belles of London” novels). The next book can’t come soon enough” —Library Journal, starred review

May 20, 2025
Paperback
Berkley

A Novel

“Zink (Avalon) cleverly and expertly combines hilarious scenes at the awards ceremony and the seven-course dinner with razor-sharp observations on culture, Americans in Europe, literature in the Middle East, sexuality, and the heavy hand of history.” —Library Journal, starred review

Mar 25, 2025
Hardcover
Knopf

A Novel

“Nobel Prize winner Gurnah (emeritus, English and postcolonial literatures, Univ. of Kent; Afterlives) is a captivating, enthralling storyteller whose characters are vibrant and sympathetic. The pages fly by quickly in his wonderful new novel.” —Library Journal, starred review

Mar 18, 2025
Hardcover
Riverhead Books

“Readers will be turning pages long into the night, captivated by this silly, enchanting, somewhat screwball romp, a sequel to Old Flames and New Fortunes.” —Library Journal, starred review

Apr 08, 2025
Paperback
G.P. Putnam's Sons

“The slow burn of the sapphic romance and the inch-by-inch growth of a relationship from contempt to reliance to love make this a story to savor, while the epic walking tour of the dead empire blends ancient history with fantasy in ways that will remind readers of Guy Gavriel Kay’s epic historical fantasy. Highly recommended for epic romantasy and historical fantasy fans who love a slow burn and the bitterest of bittersweet endings.” —Library Journal, starred review

Mar 11, 2025
Hardcover
DAW

“The secrets under Lake Argen are chilling, the hellhounds and eldritch horrors are adorable, and the romance goes from fated to bitter to sweet in an epic climax. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal, starred review

Apr 01, 2025
Hardcover
DAW

A Novel

“Every aspect of this transfixing, intimate, and astute group portrait is ablaze with scorching insights into the maddening absurdities and injustices that continue to plague women’s lives.” —Booklist, starred review

Mar 04, 2025
Hardcover
Knopf
Grades 9-12 + AP/IB

A Novel

“Readers of Margaret Atwood, Emily St. John Mandel, Edan Lepucki, and Lidia Yuknavitch will appreciate Russell’s brilliant, barbed excavation of an all-too-imaginable future.” —Library Journal, starred review

Mar 11, 2025
Hardcover
Knopf

A Novel

“Younis’ glorious satire is shot through with emotional heft, and the final section will move even the hardest of hearts. A vital, warm, and hilarious story from a brilliant new author that is deeply thoughtful about the issues Iraq faces in the twenty-first century.” —Booklist, starred review

Feb 25, 2025
Hardcover
Tiny Reparations Books

A Novel

“Confronting themes of surveillance and fascism, Orwell Prize for Political Fiction–winner Smith’s latest is a timely gift for readers.” —Booklist, starred review

Feb 04, 2025
Hardcover
Pantheon

Nonfiction

The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live

“Add this to the top of the pile of SNL tomes, just in time for the show’s 50th anniversary.” —Library Journal, starred review

Feb 18, 2025
Hardcover
Random House
Grades 9-12

Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America

“Baseball lovers will be enamored with the storytelling and conclusions, but one doesn’t have to be an enthusiastic sports fan to gain insight into the human soul from Bardenwerper’s book. Consider this resource a must-purchase.” —Library Journal, starred review

Mar 11, 2025
Hardcover
Doubleday
Grades 9-12 + AP/IB

Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond: A Cookbook

“This is a one-of-a-kind cookbook that reflects Barhany’s life journey and introduces readers to a rich culture and its history.” —Library Journal, starred review

Apr 01, 2025
Hardcover
Knopf

“A funny and upbeat “live, laugh, love” message like only Handler can deliver.” —Library Journal, starred review

Feb 25, 2025
Hardcover
The Dial Press

Audiobooks

A Novel

”An unmissable book that will inspire readers of all ages to stand up for vulnerable and mistreated women around the world.” —Library Journal Starred Review

Aug 06, 2024
Audiobook Download
Books on Tape
Grades 9-12

A Novel

“Narrator Matt Bomer brings fresh vitality to Baldwin’s words, adeptly navigating a range of accents as he communicates the internal anguish and turmoil generated by forbidden love… Emotionally gripping and expertly narrated, this classic novel will captivate a new generation of listeners.” —Library Journal Starred Review

Aug 27, 2024
Audiobook Download
Books on Tape
Grades 9-12 + AP/IB

The Astonishing Triumph of England's Greatest Warrior King

“Jones’s scholarly yet accessible writing style and cheery, well-paced narration make this cradle-to-grave biography of an enigmatic king a great choice for both academics and casual history fans.” —Library Journal Starred Review

Oct 01, 2024
Audiobook Download
Books on Tape

“With Oz on everybody’s mind, this energetically delivered retelling will find a fast audience with moviegoers, fans of Maguire’s original and other fractured fairy tales, and anyone eager to listen to this year’s Voice of Choice narrator display a full range of his talents.” —Booklist, Starred Review

Nov 12, 2024
Audiobook Download
Books on Tape
Grades 9-12

“Narrator Alexander Skarsgard provides the ideal voice for this audiobook… His performance shines in quiet moments when the audiobook inspires fempathy even as it roils with violence and despair. Not for the faint of heart, this story will awaken an appreciation for the better aspects of human nature.” —AudioFile Earphones Award Winner

Jan 07, 2025
Audiobook Download
Books on Tape
Grades 9-12 + AP/IB