Tabla de contenidos para Vol. 121, No. 2, 9/15/24 en Booklist

A variation on the opposites-attract trope, grumpy/sunshine romances have been popular with readers for decades (though a case can be made that Pride and Prejudice is the original grumpy/sunshine romance). The versatility of this theme means it can be adapted to almost any romance subgenre, and authors can approach this type of romance in a number of different ways. Some grumpy/sunshine romances employ a more light-hearted and humorous tone, such as Alexandria Bellefleur’s Written in the Stars and Tessa Bailey’s It Happened One Summer. In other grumpy/sunshine love stories, the initial grumpiness on the part of one character may mask a deeper, more serious issue, as is the case with Alexis Hall’s Glitterland and Kacen Callender’s Stars in Your Eyes. One thing that remains consistent across this spectrum of romances,…

Pets make everything better and that includes romance novels. Whether they precipitate a meet-cute between their humans or illuminate the loving and caring side of a character who might otherwise come across as cold and unfeeling, pets can play an important role in advancing a romance between two people who might remain romantically clueless without a little help from their furry best friends. Fall for Him. By Andie Burke. 2024. Griffin, $18 (9781250886392). A plumbing disaster sends Dylan Gallagher through the flooded floor of his apartment and into the bed of his hostile downstairs neighbor, Derek Chang, and the dog he is secretly taking care of. The Happy Ever After Playlist. By Abby Jimenez. 2020. Forever, $17.99 (9781538715642). After unsuccessfully trying to locate the adorable mutt’s owner, Sloan Monroe brings…

Abuelita’s Gift: A Día de Muertos Story. By Mariana Ríos Ramírez. Illus. by Sara Palacios. Sept. 2024. 40p. Knopf, $18.99 (9780593568361). K–Gr. 3. Día de Muertos is an important holiday in Mexican culture that allows the living to honor the dead and celebrate their family’s memories. The author has written a moving tale of loss, family, and tradition through the story of young Julieta’s struggles to make her abuelita smile again during Día de Muertos. Julieta still mourns her grandmother and tries to honor her by recreating their favorite memories together. As the vivid, warmly illustrated pages turn, readers will relate to and rejoice with Julieta trying to figure out the solution within herself. A glossary of Spanish words and phrases will enhance understanding of the story and traditions of…

The holiday romance is an old staple, tried and true, but it’s one that has traditionally been a bit limited in scope—until now. In this list of young-adult novels, it’s not all about Christmas or hetero white couples or even romcom vibes. We’re serving up Hannukah, Diwali, Eid, and more, with a variety of tropes and tones to please every sort. Eight Dates and Nights. By Betsy Aldredge. 2023. Delacorte/Underlined, $10.99 (9780593710333). Gr. 8–11. Hardened New Yorker Hannah isn’t thrilled to spend Hanukkah with her nana in her East Texas community dominated by Christmas. There, a Jewish deli lures her in, but it’s charming Noah who lights her up with his version of Hanukkah. Readers who like a little canoodling with their knishes will melt like grilled cheese on challah…

If boarding cars, trains, ships, or airplanes aren’t exactly your thing but you’re still longing for travel, consider quelling your wanderlust with these aural adventures guided by babymooners, royalty, and—most memorably—refugees. The Bump. By Sydney Karger. Read by Ryan Spahn and Michael Urie. 2024. 9.5hr. Books on Tape, DD (9780593825624). Spahn and Urie embody dads-to-be who hope to rekindle their stagnating relationship with a cross-country babymoon—Provincetown, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Palm Springs—before their child’s California birth. Daughters of Shandong. By Eve J. Chung. Read by Yu-Li Alice Shen. 2024. 11hr. Books on Tape, DD (9780593826164). Shen effortlessly manifests three generations of Chinese women. In 1948, wealthy matriarch Nai Nai’s family flees the rampaging Communists, but without her spineless son’s wife and daughters. The abandonment launches a perilous odyssey through Qingdao,…

Atlas of Paranormal Places: A Journey to the World’s Most Supernatural Places. By Evelyn Hollow. Sept. 2024. 224p. illus. Quarto/Ivy, $30 (9780711287969). 910.2. Covering every continent except Antartica, this concise atlas provides information on some of the spookiest places in the world. Hollow is one of Britain’s leading parapsychologists, which explains the book’s slight emphasis on British and Irish sites. But it truly is a worldwide collection, with chapters covering “Haunted Places” (a sixteenth-century Indian fort, a Swedish vicarage that is now a B&B), “Witchcraft” (a former slave plantation in Jamaica, a Bolivian market), “Sacred Sites” (cemeteries and temples), “Myths and Legends” (a Spanish murder house, the Han River in South Korea), “Strange Nature” (an Icelandic mud pool), and “Cryptids and Creatures” (a ghost town in the United Arab Emirates,…

These books are recommended by BlueInk Review, a fee-based review service. Every month, BlueInk will compile a list of their favorite self-published titles for Booklist, as a service to librarians hoping to incorporate self-published work into their collections. BlueInk was founded by Patti Thorn, former book review editor of Denver’s Rocky Mountain News, and Patricia Moosbrugger, a literary agent who represents several best-selling authors. The company delivers professional, unbiased reviews of self-published books written by critics drawn largely from major mainstream publications and by editors from prominent publishing houses. Stars reflect the decisions of BlueInk reviewers and editors. Booklist is happy to bring this curated collection of the best in self-publishing for adults and youth to our audience. Adult Countermelodies: A Memoir in Sonata Form. By Ernestine Whitman. 2024. 344p.…

Older Readers Gentlest of Wild Things. By Sarah Underwood. Oct. 2024. 400p. Harper, $19.99 (9780063234529). Gr. 9–12. Since Leandros, a descendant of Eros, came to Zakynthos, young women have fallen prey to his Desires (potions that make them fall helplessly in love), which are sold to men wanting obedient wives. When Leandros’ young wife mysteriously dies, he chooses Phoebe to replace her—until Eirene, Phoebe’s twin, offers herself in Phoebe’s place. Leandros humors her by giving her four tasks, “as Aphrodite gave to Psyche, so that she could prove her devotion.” Eirene hopes this ruse will help her find and destroy his Desires, but the tasks are impossible to complete alone. Enter Lamia, the daughter Leandros keeps hidden away, whose limp gives her chronic pain. Lamia loves her father, but time…

Adult Dare to Au Pair. By Maia Correll. Read by Jennifer Jill Araya. 2024. 11.5hr. CamCat, DD (9780744310375). Desperate to boost her résumé in hopes of snagging her dream job, ambitious 22-year-old Kat McLauren accepts a position as an au pair to three children in Èze, a picturesque small town on the French Riviera. Culture shock and a steep language barrier don’t deter her, and she vows to make the most of her circumstances. But when she meets the family’s eldest son, fellow 20-something Jamie, sparks fly, and she struggles to keep their mutual attraction from jeopardizing her job. Debut author Correll’s evocative fish-out-of-water romantic comedy meets its match in Araya, whose bubbly narration perfectly complements the novel’s upbeat and feel-good tone. Araya embodies the likable Kat with a youthfulness…

Every spring and fall, we compile a list of forthcoming titles in outstanding travel-guide series along with enticing stand-alone books. This time around, we’re happy to see loads of practical and inclusive guides and plenty of choices for armchair travelers. Eyewitness (DK) • Amsterdam. $24.99 (9780241709382). • Australia. $29.99 (9780241677124). • Berlin. $24.99 (9780241710630). • Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent. $21.99 (9780241461945). • Cambodia and Laos. $24.99 (9780241677216). • Caribbean. $25.99 • Cuba. $24.99 (9780241679029). • England’s South Coast. $22.99 (9780241707630). • Florence and Tuscany. $21.99 (9780241717189). • Germany. $27.99 (9780241717196). • Hawaii. $19.99 (9780241709399). • Italy. $27.99 (9780241725719). • Japan. $27.99 (9780241673195). • Lisbon. $19.99 (9780241707654). • Morocco. $27.99 (9780241677056). • Munich and the Bavarian Alps. $24.99 (9780241717226). • Southwest USA and National Parks. $22.99 (9780241709450). • Stockholm. $19.99 •…

Across the Ages. By Gabrielle Meyer. Nov. 2024. 384p. Bethany House, paper, $17.99 (9780764244209); e-book (9781493448234). Caroline Reed Baldwin lives two lives 200 years apart, but no matter what century she finds herself in, she is frustrated by people’s corruption and complacency. Fleeing an arranged marriage in 1727 and navigating the razor-like margins of her preacher father and family’s reputation in 1927, Caroline is determined to find answers to her time-crossing abilities and the freedom to choose her destiny rather than conform to others’ expectations. But the answers she seeks will force her to confront both the blessing and the burden of choice, and the impact that duality will have on her future. The fourth installment in Meyer’s popular Timeless series is a captivating blend of historical romance and fantasy…

Observed in October, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday celebrating and honoring Native peoples while also acknowledging the historic harms that were intentionally committed against them, from colonization to forced assimilation policies. There are more than 500 Native Nations on the land presently known as the U.S., each with its own culture, traditions, language, and ways of being. Native cultures and people are often relegated to museums and history books—but Indigenous people are still here, with inherent sovereignty and thriving cultures. The fight for tribal sovereignty and land rights isn’t over; increasing visibility of Indigenous communities and stories from Native authors is one way to honor North America’s first people. Celebrate this Indigenous Peoples’ Day by stepping into daily life with contemporary Native characters in these 2023–24 releases from Indigenous…

It’s contemporary romance across the board in this year’s top 10 romances on audio! Birding with Benefits. By Sarah T. Dubb. Read by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Evan Sibley. 2024. 10hr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD (9781797179063). Enthusiastic Celeste and reserved John team up as real birdwatching partners and fake lovers, at first. Each narrator is able to voice the other character in dialogue and balance the characters’ sometimes clashing energies. Expiration Dates. By Rebecca Serle. Read by Julia Whelan. 2024. 7hr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD (9781797168661). Marvelous character development of supporting players adds to the enchantment of this magical realism-tinged romance. Voiced by award-winning narrator Julia Whelan, this audiobook is simply flawless. Funny Story. By Emily Henry. Read by Julia Whelan. 2024. 11.5hr. Books on Tape, DD (9780593826294). Henry’s…