The Amulet
by Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell is one of the greatest horror writers no one knows about! The screenwriter of Beetlejuice, McDowell is the unsung master of Southern Gothic Horror. While it’s hard to pick just one of McDowell’s books to recommend, Amulet is a good start.

It’s 1956, and Dean Howell has been injured in a freak accident, leaving him in a vegetative state. His young wife, Sarah, tries her best to manage Dean’s care, and the demands of her awful mother-in-law, Jo. And then Jo gifts a possessed amulet to the man she blames for Dean’s accident, setting in motion a series of grisly deaths in their small Alabama town. It’s pulpy, paperback horror at its finest!

– Anna M.

Night Owl: Poems
by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

I had the pleasure once of hearing Aimee Nezhukumatathil read some of her poems aloud, and from the first line, I was mesmerized. Night Owl, her latest collection,is a meditation on our connection to each other, and to the world around us, which feels especially poignant in 2026. Filled with beautiful imagery and flowing language, her poems are deeply rich and spiritually nourishing, while remaining accessible to a casual audience. Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the perfect poet for those who don’t normally read poetry.

– Samantha

How to Build a Haunted House
by Caitlin Blackwell Baines

In this spooky analysis of what goes bump in the night, Blackwell takes the readers through various case studies of well-known haunted homes across the US and UK. She studies the history of the home itself, including the people that inhabited it as well as the ghosts that were said to lurk around the halls. The entire time, she asks the question: what makes these houses haunted? It may not—and in fact, cannot—be only attributed to actual ghosts. Blackwell shows how the impact of culture, grief, and loneliness in domestic spaces can influence the stories that develop from them and become cultural phenomenon. With deep dives into popular haunted houses like the Amityville or Winchester Mystery homes, Blackwell leaves it up to the reader to decide for themselves what is a hoax and what is truly real.

– Grace

Thank You For Calling the Lesbian Line
by Elizabeth Lovatt

Described as a “blend of history, cultural criticism, and memoir”, Elizabeth Lovatt takes you through the logbook of a 1990s Northern London phone line for lesbians, dubbed by Lovatt as the Lesbian Line. Readers get a glimpse into the lives of lesbians, from out lesbians, trans lesbians, questioning lesbians, young and old lesbians, lesbians of color–painting a diverse web of lesbian love and life. As you encounter these snippets of real-life stories, Lovatt also brings in her own experiences with her sexuality and expression. It is a powerful representation of the beauty of womanhood and the flaws of humankind, emphasizing the power of community and connectivity.

– Grace

Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World
by David Van Reybrouck

In this exceptionally well-researched history of the Indonesian revolution, Van Reybrouck recounts the significance of a nation that was first to break free from colonial rule after World War II. From the initial establishment of Dutch control and the impact of the Japanese occupation during WWII, including the widespread exploitation and extraction of people and resources, Indonesia’s transformation from a Dutch colony into a rightfully independent nation was not an easy task to accomplish. Drawing from interviews with citizens who recounted their experiences living under colonial rule, Revolusi gives us a first-person perspective of the revolution itself and of the nation-building that followed. Van Reybrouck is quick to praise and highlights the efforts of young Indonesians, mostly college students, whose activism and determination played a crucial role in shaping the country’s future. Revolusi explores how Indonesia’s revolution became a significant moment in the global process for decolonization and the unity that came with it amongst other oppressed nations across Africa and Asia. Presented in a way that is often overlooked in Western narratives, I would recommend Revolusi to those interested in history, decolonization, and the effects of colonialism in the modern world.

– Anna E.

Dear Debbie
by Freida McFadden

Debbie is a doting wife and mother who spends part of her time moonlighting as a popular local advice columnist. Always ready with a quippy response and tidy solution to her readers’ problems, Debbie suddenly finds her normally neat and perfect life unraveling all around her. She has just lost her job, her husband is behaving suspiciously, and her teenage daughters are keeping secrets from her. Instead of asking herself what kind of logical advice she would give to a reader in her shoes, Debbie begins to spiral and takes matters into her own hands.

Dear Debbie is a darkly humorous revenge thriller that strays a bit from Freida McFadden’s somewhat formulaic writing style, but still contains many of the plot twists readers have come to enjoy in her books. A quick and engaging read, Dear Debbie is the perfect summer companion for your next beach trip or long car ride!

– Melissa

Lone Wolf
by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is a reliable author. When I pick up a book she has written, I know I’m going to be introduced to multi-faceted characters and taken on an interesting journey. Lone Wolf was true to form.

We are introduced to a fascinating wolf researcher who decides to leave his family and live with a pack of wild wolves. What his experience does to him is captivating. What it means to his family to be left behind is nuanced and complex.

As always, Picoult gives the reader gut-wrenching moments of intrigue as the story unfolds. You will be left unsettled after experiencing the many complex emotions of her characters as they navigate impossible choices, buried secrets, and family division. You will be left trying to understand what is right, what is wrong, and the vast in-between

– Mrs. T.