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Every Exquisite Thing by Laura Steven

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Every Exquisite Thing by Laura Steven
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YA fantasy/horror with beautiful writing and a creepy atmosphere that slowly pulls you in. The story takes place at an elite drama academy and follows Penny, who wants the lead role badly enough to make some dangerous choices. It’s a sapphic twist on The Picture of Dorian Gray, with intense rival energy and so much tension. The horror is more unsettling than gory, which made it even better. I also really appreciated the representation of mental health, eating disorders, alopecia, and type one diabetes. Completely unforgettable!

Every Exquisite Thing by Laura Steven, (List Price: $15, Wednesday Books, 9781250346797, May 2026)

Reviewed by Sandra, Hills & Hamlets Bookshop in Chattahoochee Hills, GA

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Land by Maggie O’Farrell

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Land by Maggie O'Farrell
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A father. A son. A map of Ireland. But this story charts far more than land. Inspired by her ancestor’s work on the Ordnance Survey, Maggie O’Farrell tells a sweeping, luminous tale set in 1865, where history, memory, and myth entwine. As Tomas works to record the true story of his homeland, refusing to let it be erased, generations unfold in a narrative where time feels beautifully, magically non-linear. The land itself lives and breathes here. Houses hold love and grief. The soil carries endings and beginnings all at once. Vast, intimate, and impossible to forget.

Land by Maggie O’Farrell, (List Price: $32, Knopf, 9780593320648, June 2026)

Reviewed by Sandra, Hills and Hamlets Bookshop in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia

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A Suit or a Suitcase by Maggie Smith

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A Suit or a Suitcase by Maggie Smith
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This beautiful poetry collection looks at the connection between mind and body and the ways our sense of self shifts over time. Moving through questions of memory, meaning, and connection, it asks how time shapes who we are and how we are seen. A quiet, powerful read that stays with you.

A Suit or a Suitcase by Maggie Smith, (List Price: $25, Washington Square Press, 9781668090053, March 2026)

Reviewed by Sandra, Hills and Hamlets Bookshop in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia

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Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman

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Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
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A chilling, darkly humorous, sci-fi thriller with a sharp real-world edge had me turning the pages nonstop. On the newly colonized planet New Sonora, farmer Oliver is fighting to protect his family’s land and legacy. When a mech war machine attacks his property, he learns the truth: back on Earth, a powerful corporation has turned colonist eviction into a televised game, allowing wealthy players to design and remotely pilot deadly mechs for sport. With his fearless sister Lulu, clever farm robots, and a growing resistance, Oliver fights back against invaders who paid top dollar to hunt them; smart, tense, and uncomfortably relevant. I highly recommend!

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman, (List Price: $32, Ace, 9780593820308, February 2026)

Reviewed by Sandra, Hills and Hamlets Bookshop in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia

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Songbird of the Sorrows by Braidee Otto

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Songbird of the Sorrows by Braidee Otto
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Greek mythology inspires this debut romantasy, featuring a richly constructed magical world filled with political intrigue, spymasters, banished royalty, forbidden romance, trauma, and epic friendships. The author does an amazing job bringing both the story and its characters to life. We follow Aella, the female lead, whose point of view drives the narrative. Once a princess, she is disowned and cast into a guild of spymasters called The Aviary. After seven years of grueling work to prove herself, her first major assignment requires her to pretend to be a princess once more and entice a ruthless prince. Aella’s journey is deeply emotional and often painful, making her story incredibly compelling. The ending absolutely demands more.

Songbird of the Sorrows by Braidee Otto, (List Price: $30, The Dial Press, 9798217153824, February 2026)

Reviewed by Sandra Pinkney, Hills and Hamlets Bookshop in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia

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