Jamie Ford is the great grandson of Nevada mining pioneer Min Chung, who emigrated from China to San Francisco in 1865, where he adopted the western name 'Ford', thus confusing countless generations. Ford's debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a New York Times bestseller, and has been awarded the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. It has been translated into twenty-nine languages. Having grown up near Seattle's Chinatown, Ford now lives in Montana with his wife and children.
Storybook Ending (2025) Moira Macdonald "Storybook Ending is so radiant, so big-hearted, reading it feels like receiving an unexpected gift, one that you've waited a lifetime for. It's a love letter to the secret, unspoken longings nestled within the pages of ordinary lives. In a world filled with love stories and tangled triangles, this one stands out - reaching a resolution as unique as it is profoundly satisfying. I absolutely loved this book."
Punished (2025) Ann-Helén Laestadius "Ann-Helen Laestadius's Punished is a revelation - a heartfelt exploration of identity, justice, and belonging, written with unflinching honesty and poetic grace. This novel doesn't just tell a story; it demands that we feel every heartbeat along the way."
Breath of the Dragon (2025) (Breathmarked, book 1) Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee "I'm genuinely awestruck by the brilliance of this coming-of-age novel. Infused with the vital essence of Bruce Lee's intellect, martial arts prowess, and philosophical depth, it's a captivating journey that transcends the ordinary--a master class in storytelling. I loved it and cannot wait for the next book!"
The Fallen Fruit (2024) Shawntelle Madison "A mesmerizing tale of a family bound by an extraordinary curse - an uncontrollable ability to fall backwards in time. Spanning generations, their saga weaves a rich tapestry of American history, from the Revolutionary War to the brink of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. I loved this book. I wish I could go back in time to read it again for the first time."
Old King (2024) Maxim Loskutoff "Propulsive and thought-provoking . . . [Old King] examines the boundaries of society and solitude, the fine line between genius and madness."
Middletide (2024) Sarah Crouch "In this brilliant debut, the line between fiction and reality blurs, as a failed novelist's murder mystery is mirrored in real life, with the author as the prime suspect. An enthralling tale of long lost love, loss, and stunning retribution. I absolutely loved it!"
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club (2024) Helen Simonson "I am so in love with the way Helen Simonson writes, how she tells a story. This book is utterly captivating from the first page. With a perfect blend of historical charm, courage, and camaraderie, it takes readers on a riveting journey through a world where the skies are the limit for those brave enough to soar."
All The Glimmering Stars (2024) Mark Sullivan "Set amid the harrowing chaos of Joseph Kony's cultlike regime and his abducted children turned soldiers, an extraordinary narrative of love and unwavering resilience emerges. The intertwined journey of Anthony Opoka and Florence Okori stands as a luminous symbol of hope. Their love becomes a refuge, a testament to the human spirit's endurance."
Days of Wonder (2024) Caroline Leavitt "As compassionate as it is complex, Days of Wonder is a completely absorbing story of loss, injustice, and the canyons of misconception left behind. Both a coming-of-age love story and a tale of motherhood, the emotional resonance will stay with you long after the final page."
The Smoke in Our Eyes (2024) James Grady "This isn't a coming-of-age story of a young boy, this is the coming-of-age story of a young nation, rendered on the canvas of rural America, circa 1959. A heart-rending meditation on how innocence becomes wisdom, how fate becomes freedom, and how nostalgia reveals truth. I loved this book!"
Where You End (2024) Abbott Kahler "If you pick up this book (and you should) be sure to clear your calendar for a few days because you will not be able to put it down. Where You End is a gripping, breathtaking, page-turning, and completely satisfying psychological thrill-ride. I was utterly mesmerized."
The American Queen (2024) Vanessa Miller "Some books just feel inspired. You feel blessed for having read them. They feel like a gift. This is one of those books. The American Queen is definitely a story everyone should know, and a year from now, I have a feeling they will. Put it at the top of your bookstagram reading list."
The Phoenix Crown (2023) Janie Chang and Kate Quinn "When two masters of historical fiction team up, it's like 1+1=1000. I'm in awe of this impeccably researched, magnificently rendered, and breathlessly paced tale that kept me up late into the night reading, reflecting, and delving into the haunting true stories that inspired this novel. I cannot wait to recommend The Phoenix Crown to my own book club."
The Museum of Failures (2023) Thrity Umrigar "Family secrets are constellations made of falling stars. When scattered across the vast expanse of our lives, they lead us, guide us, but often in the wrong direction. With Thrity Umrigar's signature blend of emotional depth and compassionate storytelling, The Museum of Failures is a poignant and profound exploration of what happens when someone's entire life, their entire journey, has been spent off-course. I feel this book. You will too."
Tropicalia (2023) Harold Rogers "A bacchanal of familial entanglements, as beautiful as it is brutal. This is a story of what happens when love is the midwife of destruction, trauma the cousin of redemption, and fate, the absentee mother of us all. I loved this book in all its parts, but as a whole, it left me awestruck."
The Spectacular (2023) Fiona Davis "Another brilliant book from a brilliant author! This is historical fiction at its finest, combining elements of love, betrayal, and pursuing one's dreams amid the glamor of Radio City Music Hall and the shadow of a madman terrorizing the city."
Good Night, Irene (2023) Luis Alberto Urrea "Every once in a while the universe opens its heart and pulls out a book like this novel, gifting it to the cosmos. In Good Night, Irene, a new element has been created, and the literary world is reborn in the image of Luis Alberto Urrea. His voice comes alive on every page of this magnificent novel."
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez (2023) Claire Jiménez "A fantastic debut that is full of attitude, authenticity, and authority. This book is hilarious, heart-breaking, and ass-kicking at the same time."
Remarkably Bright Creatures (2022) Shelby Van Pelt "A perfect story with imperfect characters, that is so heartwarming, so mysterious, and so completely absorbing, you won't be able to put it down because when you're not reading this book you'll be hugging it."
Take My Hand (2022) Dolen Perkins-Valdez "This powerful novel finds the humanity in one of the most inhumane chapters of American history. Take My Hand will enrage you. It will illuminate you. It just might redeem you. In the process, it will take your breath away. I don't say this often, but it's a must-read."
The Fervor (2022) Alma Katsu "I'm in awe of Alma Katsu's uncanny ability to take historical fiction and infuse it with something so dark and otherworldly. I read this book in two sittings and during the night in between, I dreamt about it. A supernatural story with true heartache."
Small World (2022) Jonathan Evison "This is more than a sprawling, big-hearted, blue-collar novel, it's a Dickensian saga on a grand American scale, filled with beauty and violence, tragedy and redemption. This is the kind of historical fiction that keeps you up all night, burning in your veins like kerosene."
The Perishing (2021) Natashia Deon "This isn't a book. It's a touchstone. It's an oracle. It's a mirror in which you will see your authentic self, reflected on the pages. The Perishing is one part lyrical mystery, one part history lesson you didn't learn in school, one part time machine. It's a lush, genre-smashing, philosophical experience of a novel that blew my mind even as it broke my heart."
Feral Creatures (2021) (Hollow Kingdom, book 2) Kira Jane Buxton "Kira Jane Buxton's voice is fresh, like a newly dug grave, but so joyful and honest you'll laugh out loud, and then check to make sure you haven't lost an eyeball."
Clark and Division (2021) (Japantown Mystery, book 1) Naomi Hirahara "One part mystery. One part historical fiction. In Naomi Hirahara's expert hands that 1+1 equation somehow equals 10, leaving you with a story that is enthralling, enlightening, and edifying."
And It Will Be A Beautiful Life (2021) Craig Lancaster "An absorbing blue-collar meditation on marriage and meaning at midlife. A coming-of-age story, but that age just happens to be 55. We've all been there, or will soon be."
Meeting in Positano (2021) Goliarda Sapienza "A profoundly intimate book, achingly beautiful, like a warm, lyrical daydream. As I turned the pages I felt as though I were in postwar Positano, brushing the sand and salt from my skin, a silent character in Goliarda’s world of tragic possibility."
Luck of the Titanic (2021) Stacey Lee "This is the kind of book I absolutely love. Heroism and heartbreaking tragedy, seen through the eyes of those who have been left off the pages of our history books."
My Brilliant Life (2021) Ae-ran Kim "This is one of those novels where the characters seem to have immortal souls. They're so real to me I feel like adding them to my Christmas card list. When you read this book, give them my regards. Let them know I still think about them."
The Center of Everything (2021) Jamie Harrison "This doesn't feel like a work of fiction. It feels real, like reading someone's diary. I'm left convinced that these characters have immortal souls and I find comfort in their familiarity. I want to spend more time in their world, urging them to whisper their secrets in my ear. A brilliant book."
Betty (2020) Tiffany McDaniel "This novel broke my brain. The lush, hypnotic prose, the voice, so authentic and compelling, as Betty Carpenter holds your hand and leads you through a world filled with familial tragedy. Each more haunting than the last, until you're left holding your breath, with a tourniquet on your heart. This is powerful, relentless storytelling at its best."
The Blaze (2020) Chad Dundas "An authentic look at memories, how they affect us, and how their absence leaves holes in our lives that can’t be filled with anything but the truth. A fantastic mystery that had me in its grip from the first page."
What's Left of Me Is Yours (2019) Stephanie Scott "Remember that new-discovery, time-stopping, every-moment-is-magical kind of love? That's what it felt like to read this novel. Then limerence turns to passion which leads to tragedy and suddenly this book is impossible to put down as you speed toward a conclusion that is as surprising as it is satisfying."
The Secret of Clouds (2019) Alyson Richman "A tender, captivating, and ultimately satisfying story about the emotional gifts exchanged between a caring teacher and a student in need. Thank you, Alyson Richman, for another heartrending tale."
Silent Hearts (2018) Gwen Florio "A rich, haunting, immersive story of cultures at the crossroads—deeply moving. A heart-smashingly good read, the kind of novel you’ll want to share with your book club."
Arbuckle (2018) (Arbuckle Trilogy, book 3) Russell Rowland "Part love story, part frontier mystery, Russell Rowland's latest novel is a heartbreaking heartwarming journey that's ment to be savored."
Love Water Memory (2013) Jennie Shortridge "A beautiful novel about vwhat the mind forgets and what the heart remembers. A captivating read from start to finish."
Wool (2011) (Silo Trilogy, book 1) Hugh Howey "The best science-fiction stories are like tiny seeds that take root and blossom in the reader's imagination. Hugh Howey presents an entire garden of post-apocalyptic wonder, with weeds and predators, tended by the secret caretakers of a destroyed world. Page-turning sci-fi at its finest."
Up from the Blue (2010) Susan Henderson "Beautiful and maddening, hopeful and condemning, simple, yet like a knot that takes a lifetime to untangle... A heartbreaking, rewarding story that still haunts me."
(b.1968)
