Archives par étiquette : Dystel Goderich & Bourret

THE BURNING SIDE de Sarah Damoff

From the author of The Bright Years, the story of April and Leo, a couple on the brink of collapse. When their house goes up in flames, family secrets and thorny histories emerge as they are forced to decide what is worth salvaging.

THE BURNING SIDE
by Sarah Damoff
Simon & Schuster, May 2026
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

When April and Leo’s house burns in the middle of the night, they escape with their two young children and the quiet knowledge that the fire is not the only thing threatening their family. They retreat to April’s childhood home in Dallas, where her spirited parents and siblings provide both comfort and complication.

As the family reckons with the aftermath—grief, guilt, logistics, and memories scorched and intact—the fire exposes the cracks already forming in April and Leo’s marriage. The novel unfolds in alternating perspectives: from April, who feels the crushing weight of motherhood, marriage, and self-blame; from Leo, a high school history teacher shaped by a lonely, fractured childhood; from Deb, April’s generous and no-nonsense mother who has to contend with her husband’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis; and from flashbacks that trace April and Leo’s relationship from its earliest days of connection to the devastating decisions that led them here.

A family saga suffused with humor, longing, and heartbreak, THE BURNING SIDE is about what we inherit and what we choose, about forgiveness and the ache of being known. It is, above all, about the meaning of home and the costs of long love.

Sarah Damoff is the author of The Bright Years, which was a USA TODAY bestseller and is being translated into twelve languages. She lives with her husband and children in Texas, where she has been a social worker.

CHILDREN OF THE SAVAGE CITY d’Elizabeth Heider

Fast-paced, evocative, and steeped in the tension of moral compromise, CHILDREN OF THE SAVAGE CITY explores the thin line between hope and illusion in a city where every choice carries a price.

CHILDREN OF THE SAVAGE CITY
by Elizabeth Heider
Penguin Books, February 2026
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

Some cities feed on secrets. Naples is ravenous.

A peaceful evening mass at the historic Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo is shattered when a young au pair is killed in one of the cathedral’s quiet chapels. The daughter of the US Ambassador sees it happen–but she’ll speak only to one person: Nikki Serafino.

Shaken by betrayal in her last high-profile case, Nikki has retreated from the relentless vigilance that once defined her work as liaison between Italian police and the US military. Withdrawn and mistrustful, she works her shifts, cares for her aging family, teaches self-defense classes, and avoids entanglement. But this case threatens her self-imposed invisibility–drawing her into a web of lies and resurfacing old wounds and buried loyalties. The murder investigation leads Nikki and her friend, Naples officer Valerio Alfieri, into a shadow architecture of power: built to protect the guilty and hide their secrets at any cost.

Can she and Valerio—each carrying dangerous debts—resist the undertow of corruption that swallows truth whole?

Set against the chaos of modern Naples—the city of Roberto Saviano’s Gomorrah and Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend—where grace and corruption share the same narrow streets, Nikki and Valerio navigate a landscape where even the most principled must confront the cost of survival.

Elizabeth Heider is the author of May the Wolf Die, named a New York Times Best Crime Novel, a Washington Post Best Mystery, and one of Publishers Weekly‘s best books of the year. Her short fiction has been recognized by the Santa Fe Writers Project and New Century Writer Awards. She holds a PhD in physics and most recently worked as a program manager for Microsoft’s AI4Science and as a scientist in the European Space Agency’s human spaceflight program. She’s authored original scientific research, a patent, analytical reports for the US government and military, and coauthored a journal article with astronaut Thomas Pesquet. She lived and worked in Naples, Italy, as a civilian analyst embedded with the US Navy’s mission in Africa, where she deployed aboard US and European naval ships. Originally from Utah, she now lives in The Hague, where she’s working on the next Nikki Serafino novel.

WE COULD BE ANYONE d’Anna-Marie McLemore

Two teen con-artists must execute an almost impossible scam at an exclusive mansion in this thriller that’s White Lotus meets Mexican Gothic – for teens.

WE COULD BE ANYONE
by Anna-Marie McLemore
Feiwel & Friends, May 2026
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

“Lola and I grew up hearing that we could become anything, but our parents hadn’t meant it the way gringo parents did. They meant it as a warning.”

Lola and Lisandro are actors during Hollywood’s Golden Age, but you won’t see them on any silver screen. Instead, these siblings use their talents to scam the rich and famous out of their ill-begotten cash. They have their act down to a science: Lola plays the tragic ghost who haunts the mansions of the wealthy, and Lisandro plays the brave spiritualist who will help her soul find peace. For a small fee, of course.

The siblings have their sights set on their next target: The Coterie, the opulent estate of newspaper tycoon Bixby Fairfax and his famous mistress Blythe Bell. A score this big will allow them to move… well, anywhere but here. But this job requires them to do something they’ve never done before: switch roles. And as strange things keep happening at The Coterie… things that even Lola and Lisandro can’t explain.

As they are drawn deeper into The Coterie’s gleaming façade and tensions rise between brother and sister, one question looms over them. Will they be able to pull off their act? Or will this be their last performance?

“McLemore’s signature prose both cuts like ice and rolls languidly off the tongue.” –Shelf Awareness, starred review

“Mixing horror and fantasy, the deftly woven plot simmers…” –Publishers Weekly

Anna-Marie McLemore (they/them) is the author of The Weight of Feathers, Wild Beauty, Blanca & Roja, Dark and Deepest Red, Lakelore, Venom & Vow (co-authoredwith Elliott McLemore), and National Book Award longlist selections When the Moon Was Ours, The Mirror Season, and Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix. They have received the Michael L. Printz Award, the Stonewall Honor, the Otherwise Award, three Northern California Book Awards, and an Américas Honor.

THE MENTAL STRENGTH PLAYBOOK d’Amy Morin

Improve your workplace performance with 50 practical, science-backed tools that build emotional resilience and neutralize negative thoughts—from the internationally bestselling author of the 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do series.

THE MENTAL STRENGTH PLAYBOOK:
50 Tools to Cope with Stress, Thrive Under Pressure, and Gain a Competitive Edge in the Workplace
by Amy Morin
Rodale, April 2026
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

Whether you’re dealing with constant demands, the pressure to perform, or the stress of adapting to rapid changes, the workplace is often where you’re tested the most mentally and emotionally. As psychotherapist, speaker, and podcast host Amy Morin discovered, sharpening your mental strength is the key to not only tackling workplace challenges but taking your performance to the next level. The Mental Strength Playbook is specifically designed to help you thrive professionally, with 50 scientifically proven plays you can use right now.

Morin helps you navigate tough but common situations at work, like dealing with anxiety in the middle of a sales call or negotiation, staying on task when you’re feeling overwhelmed, or dealing with difficult coworkers. Learning how to manage your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors will help you recover from setbacks faster and optimize your mental game to excel in high-stakes situations. Her workplace-specific strategies are organized to make solving your specific issue quick and easy and include:

• Dread Diffusers (Play Behavior Bingo or Use the 10-Minute Rule)

• Insight Ignitors (Question Your Question or Brainstorm the Bad Ideas First)

• Anxiety Alleviators (Schedule Time to Worry or Change the Channel in Your Brain)

• Confidence Catalysts (Channel Your Alter Ego or Visit Your Victory Vault)

Whether you’re struggling with a tight deadline, delivering a high-pressure presentation, or newly leading a team, The Mental Strength Playbook will give you the skills you need to cope with discomfort, prevent burnout, and excel at work.

“Want to learn how to strengthen yourself mentally to endure life’s most unpredictable curveballs? Morin will take you step-by-step through how to face your challenges head on with tips, exercises and troubleshooting advice.” – People, named one of the top 20 books written by women

“Amy Morin’s book will help you break the cycle of non-achievement and help you start living the life you’ve dreamed of.” –Business Insider

“Morin wants to help you change these negative behaviors into positive ones…so maybe you should let her.” – Cosmopolitan

Amy Morin is a licensed clinical social worker, college psychology instructor and psychotherapist. She’s one of the most popular TEDx speakers of all time. Her talk, “The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong,” has been viewed more than 22 million times. She’s also the award-winning host of a podcast called Mentally Stronger With Therapist Amy Morin. In 2013, her article, « 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, » became a viral sensation when it was read by over 50 million people. Her first book, a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, has been translated into more than 40 languages. Her advice has been featured on or in numerous media outlets including Time, CNN, CNBC, Today, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Fox News, Fast Company, Oprah.com, Business Insider, and Success.

YOU ARE NOW OLD ENOUGH TO HEAR THIS de Aaron Starmer

In the latest middle grade speculative novel from Spontaneous author Aaron Starmer, Roman follows the twisted threads of bizarre family legends and magical secrets to write his own chapter in his peculiar family narrative.

YOU ARE NOW OLD ENOUGH TO HEAR THIS
by Aaron Starmer
Penguin Workshop, March 2026
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

There’s always more to the story.

The Toe Beast looms large in the Barnes family lore—a tale concocted by twelve-year-old Roman’s grandpa to explain his missing toe. But Roman has never actually heard the full story, and after his grandpa dies suddenly, it seems like he never will.

That is, until Roman is tasked with clearing out his grandpa’s house, and stumbles upon some strange things. An old mason jar full of formaldehyde, a mysterious handwritten book about a girl and a pack of dogs, a rusty metal bucket with peculiar abilities. And they all tie back to extraordinary secrets from the distant past.

By unraveling even more unbelievable stories that have been hidden from him, Roman is forced to rethink how he fits into his family’s history. Now it’s up to him to see his own story through to the end. Because the Toe Beast was only the beginning . . .

« A triumph of imaginative storytelling… »—Booklist, starred review

« Roman’s curiosity about his family and his place within it propels him on an unsettlingly strange and seemingly disjointed journey that Starmer cleverly conjures into a cohesive, genuinely touching narrative. »—Publishers Weekly, starred review

« Starmer’s latest calls to mind Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me in the way the intricate plot similarly—and bafflingly—comes together with surprising twists… Intriguingly bizarre and wholly original. »—Kirkus

« Starmer (Night Swimming) combines magic, whimsy, and the unexpected in this exploration of one family’s history. »—School Library Journal

Aaron Starmer is the author of more than a dozen novels for young readers, including Night Swimming, A Million Views, Spontaneous, The Only Ones, and the Locker 37 series. He lives in Vermont with his wife and two children.