What We’re Reading: Fall 2023

“I am about to dive into The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghase. Why? BECAUSE IT’S THE NEW VERGHASE!!!! Have you not read Cutting for Stone? If not, run, don’t walk, to your bookstore and buy a copy!” —Deb Futter, President and Publisher

“I can’t wait to reconvene with the Thursday Murder Club in Richard Osman’s latest mystery. I feel like I’m old friends with this gang of senior sleuths, and I can’t get enough of their hilarious wisecracks, shrewd observations, and truly brave hearts.” —Jennifer Jackson, Executive Director, Marketing

“My book club chose Demon Copperhead for our next pick, so that will be my next read! I ended up with a B&N exclusive edition that includes an essay from Kingsolver about spending a night in the home where Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield, which was fascinating. I love learning about how authors are inspired, especially when a book becomes such a wild success.” —Randi Kramer, Associate Editor

“I am currently reading The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, a satirical, supernatural, and darkly comedic novel set in 1930s Russia. It’s hard to describe, but essentially the devil comes to Moscow with a giant talking cat and wreaks havoc. It touches on Faust, Pontius Pilate, bureaucratic and religious hypocrisy, corruption, the nature of good vs. evil, totalitarianism, existentialism … the list just goes on. It’s absurd, thought-provoking, and entertaining. A brilliant read so far.” —Rebecca Ritchey, Senior Manager, Social Media

“I’m excited to read Sleepless: A Memoir of Insomnia. Darrieussecq discusses the things that haunt us and keep us awake, and she recounts her own struggles with sleep, as well as those of great writers throughout history. Sleep does not come easily for me, and I anticipate the night when I’m sure I’ll experience this book as the author intended: in my bed at three in the morning, when I turn to reading because I’m awake despite all my best efforts. I'd be personally thrilled to see how writing prowess and insomnia overlap.” —Faith Tomlin, Editorial Assistant

“It might sound a little silly, but I’ve been rereading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I was craving a quick, easy, fun read to combat the craziness of the fall season, and I got hooked. Plus, it’s just in time for the new TV show based on the books that’s coming out in December!” —Liza Buell, Associate Publicist

“My favorite book-Toker Brady Lockerby gave Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter a five-star review, so you better believe I’m kicking off spooky season with this thriller. It’s been on my TBR for a while, but Brady’s review pushed it to the top of my list, and I’m definitely spending this fall curled up with a stack of mystery and thrillers!” —Julia Sikora, Publicity Assistant

“I just finished reading T. Kingfisher’s Thornhedge, continuing my journey with her short fiction. I thought it was a unique take on Sleeping Beauty that I hadn’t seen before, and I think that anyone who’s liked Kingfisher’s other work would thoroughly enjoy this novella and its winsome, sweet characters! Also, sending all my best wishes to the author, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer.” —Sandra Moore, Marketing Assistant

“I was instantly hooked by the beautiful cover and stayed for the magic and monsters. I’m excited to dive into this fantasy world inspired by East Asia and the many interesting nuances it brings.” —Yelizaveta Rogulina, Ad Promo/Social Media Intern