BLUE HOTEL de Dann McDorman

BLUE HOTEL’s puzzle-like structure, in which each new section of the novel alters the reader’s understanding of what came before, accompanies a deeply felt meditation on death, the nature of reality, and our reasons for being and non-being.

BLUE HOTEL
by Dann McDorman
Knopf, Spring 2025
(via David Black Literary)

A man wakes up in a room with no idea where he is or how he got there. The room has no door nor windows. He has no way to tell the time. He has nothing to eat except for the endless cartons of Cup O’ Noodles (Original flavor) with which he is tormented by his captors. The stubble on his chin doesn’t grow. He loses his mind; he gets his back. Then one day, one hour, one minute, a vintage black typewriter appears on the desk, gleaming like a beetle. He warily taps out his name: J-O-H-N T-H-O-M-A-S. He sits down and begins to write…
Thus begins BLUE HOTEL, during which readers follow John Thomas as he tries to solve the mystery of his imprisonment. His surprising escape, and the discovery of what lies outside his room, launches an exploration during which readers will encounter a strange menagerie of characters: doomsday cultists, a Reality Studies professor, a Big Tech billionaire, an immortal chatbot, a woman who thought she could fly, and two sisters who speak to the dead — plus a few other, rather more surprising personalities…
BLUE HOTEL, Dann McDorman’s follow-up to West Heart Kill, features his trademark mixture of plot twists and philosophical inquiry. It’s a novel filled with bizarre facts and heretical histories, ranging from the origins of artificial intelligence to 19th century revolutionary politics in Canada. BLUE HOTEL’s puzzle-like structure, in which each new section of the novel alters the reader’s understanding of what came before, accompanies a deeply felt meditation on death, the nature of reality, and our reasons for being and non-being.

Dann McDorman is an Emmy-nominated TV news producer, who has also worked as a newspaper reporter, book reviewer, and cabinet maker. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.

MY HAPPY MOMENTS JOURNAL de Jamie Leigh Bassos

Encourage kids to record their favorite moments with this guided journal.

MY HAPPY MOMENTS JOURNAL
Fun Prompts to Record Your Favorite Memories
by Jamie Leigh Bassos
Callisto Publishing/Sourcebooks, June 2024

When kids write about their experiences, they can look back and remember everything that makes them happy! MY HAPPY MOMENTS JOURNAL lets them create a keepsake of meaningful moments, with fun and creative kids’ activities like writing down 3 things they’re thankful for, drawing an « emotion ocean », and challenging themselves to try something new.

Jamie Leigh Bassos is a board certified behavior analyst who has worked with infants, toddlers, children, and families for over 20 vears. She holds a master of science degree in applied behavior analysis from Northeaster University and a bachelor of science in psychology from The George Washington University.

LIFE SKILLS BOOK FOR TEENS de Maureen Stiles

A practical guide to everyday life skills for teens.

LIFE SKILLS BOOK FOR TEENS
Everything You Need to Know to Be More Independent
by Maureen Stiles
Callisto Publishing/Sourcebooks, April 2024

Set yourself up for success as an adult—tips and advice for ages 16+.

How do you create a budget? Clean a bathroom? Make a doctor’s  appointment? If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the responsibilities of growing up, you’re not alone—and the Life Skills Book for Teens is here to help! It includes straightforward advice for handling your money, health, home, relationships, and more so you can take on adulthood with confidence.

Maureen Stiles is a freelance writer and editor with a focus on parenting topics and general humor. She has been quoted in The New York Times and Washington Post regarding parenting strategies, and her writing is featured on TODAY Parents, in the book Grown and Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults, as well as many others.

THE DARKROOM d’A.J. Hewitt

In the tradition of Unnatural Causes, When the Dogs Don’t Bark and All That Remains, this is a true crime book full of the wisdom that can be found in the darkness.

THE DARKROOM
Case Files of a Scotland Yard Forensic Photographer
by A.J. Hewitt
Orion, February 2024
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

For years, A.J. Hewitt was the first person into a crime scene. Before the detectives and the forensics team it was her alone with the body, the only sound her flashes firing as they lit up scenes of unimaginable horror. It was her job to shoot the photographs that revealed the circumstances of someone’s final moments.

Now in her debut book, THE DARKROOM, Hewitt takes us into the shadowy world of the crime scene photographer, and recounts remarkable tales, from murders to suicides, accidents to assassinations.

“An incredible insight into the work of a crime scene photographer told with sensitivity and compassion, but also with the forensic acuity of an experienced professional. The autobiographical style used to tell stories of crime scenes and crimes is compelling and incredibly readable. It becomes clear the crucial role that crime scene photography plays in not only documenting the evidence, but in aiding the solving of crimes. A must read for anyone interested in the darker side of human criminality and the work of forensic investigators.” — Professor Jane Monckton- Smith, author of In Control: Dangerous Relationships and How They End in Murder

“THE DARKROOM is an absolutely riveting read. It is a compelling book that works on so many levels. An authentic and sensitive account of the impact and aftermath of crime that will appeal to true crime readers and crime fiction authors, it also has wide appeal as a human story that charts A.J. Hewitt’s touching journey as the outsider turned insider and her struggle to prevent herself being changed by her experiences as a Police Forensic Photographer for New Scotland Yard. A unique book that offers a unique perspective. Highly recommended.” — Adam Hamdy, screenwriter and bestselling author of The Other Side of Night

“Passionate and empathetic, Hewitt speeds across London from one site of murder and mayhem to the next, always another crime scene coming, always more brutalized dead to bring to light and into focus. The great city grinds on, never seeing or knowing of these, her haunted stories selected from decades of skilled photographic investigative work for Scotland Yard.” — Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell, authors of Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner, a New York Times bestseller

A.J. Hewitt is a professionally trained photographer who spent almost a decade as a forensic photographer with New Scotland Yard. Hewitt studied photography and design at art college and subsequently graduated (with distinction) with a Bachelor of Arts (double major) degree. Insatiably curious and a lifelong learner, she is in the final stage of completing a psychology degree. She is a voracious reader, an open water scuba diver and has travelled widely, with her cameras, on four continents. She’s a storyteller at heart, whether through her camera lens or with a pencil and paper.

THE BRIGHT YEARS de Sarah Damoff

One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.

THE BRIGHT YEARS
by Sarah Damoff
Simon & Schuster, April 2025
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall.

When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide whether she can open up to love for them—or herself—while there’s still time.

Told from three intimate points of view, The Bright Years is a tender, true-to-life novel that explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy but, over time, restored by the power of grace and love.

“Tender and heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful…will make the reader feel like they are actually living through it alongside the characters.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Social worker Damoff’s heartfelt debut focuses on the impact of alcohol addiction on a family over four generations…This family drama rings true.”— Publishers Weekly

“This novel sparkles in its sentences, its texture, its big heart—THE BRIGHT YEARS is a vivid, forthright, and gorgeously written story of love in its many iterations.” — Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had and Same as it Ever Was

Sarah Damoff’s writing has appeared in Porter House Review, Ruminate Magazine, and Open Global Rights, among other publications. She holds a degree in Family Studies and a Child Protection Certification from Harvard University. A Texas native, Sarah lives in Dallas with her husband and children.