PADMA’S ALL AMERICAN received a starred review from Booklist: “Beautiful photography and step-by-step instructions will tempt home cooks to try a new world of recipes, and Lakshmi's suggested pantry staples (chilis, herbs, oils) will make flavors pop. Delicious food and unforgettable immigrant stories will broaden and enrich readers' culinary repertoire, strengthening bonds among all who call America home.” Lakshmi was interviewed by Interview Magazine by J Lee, who writes: “Padma Lakshmi is pure aura. You can feel it from across the room. It radiates through your TV set, oozes from her TikToks, and pulses through her book. In person, it’s as bright as the sun...We talked about the past, we talked hot dogs, we talked shit. No French food, no rare steaks. She is booked, busy, and thriving. She likes her food hot. No sharing. She’s a boss, and she eats in bed–only Italian linens, no crumbs, no stains. She knows exactly who she is.” Lakshmi is on book tour now, with her next stop in Pittsburgh on November 10. Knopf published PADMA’S ALL AMERICAN on November 4, 2025.

Sherri L. Smith’s middle-grade novel CANDACE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING received a starred review in Booklist Online. Reviewer John Peters writes: “The overall tone is whimsical; the distinctly ‘unordinary’ characters are thoroughly winsome, and readers will be well pleased to find the author leading them through an extraordinary quest to a promise of further adventures to come.” The novel was published on September 9, 2025 by Penguin Young Readers.

In a starred review for PADMA’S ALL AMERICAN, Library Journal raves: “Once again, Lakshmi demonstrates true culinary grace and grit, in a book that is both homage and manifesto... [She] beautifully articulates what it means for her to use food as a lens into other people’s lives and cultures, and she gives voices to those whose daily lives are full of spices and specialties that many readers might, at first glance, view as unfamiliar…Lakshmi shows that these recipes, ranging from Afghani dumplings to Indian coconut rice to Peruvian tamales, are as all-American as apple pie in a book that is a love letter to the diversity of the United States, written through food.” Knopf will publish the book on November 4, 2025.

Library Journal awarded a starred review to JOAN CRAWFORD: A WOMAN’S FACE by Scott Eyman, praising: “Eyman offers a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stars of the 20th century…This well-written, balanced, and comprehensive review of Crawford’s life and career will appeal to her fans and those who enjoy a good, juicy Hollywood saga.” Simon & Schuster will publish the book on November 18, 2025.

Sherri L. Smith’s middle-grade novel CANDACE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING is receiving advance praise. Kirkus Reviews calls the book “[a] heartwarming adventure that explores courage, self-belief, and dreams.” Shelf Awareness reviewer Natasha Harris says of the “whimsical” book: “Smith's novel is filled with cosmic metaphors, intergenerational connections, science, and self-discovery…With its contemporary WHEN YOU REACH ME tone, CANDACE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING reminds readers that although the universe is boundless, our connections to each other are limited and thus extremely meaningful.” CANDACE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING will be published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers on September 9, 2025.

Giovanni De Feo’s THE SECRET MARKET OF THE DEAD was awarded a starred review from Publishers Weekly: “De Feo crafts a sumptuous folkloric excursion into the depths of human creativity…The worldbuilding is lush and extraordinary, and a welter of motives and schemes keep the pages flying. It’s a feast for the imagination.” The novel will be published by Saga Press on July 8, 2025.

Culture critic Jeremy Gordon’s debut novel, SEE FRIENDSHIP, is receiving fantastic press ahead of its release. A positive review from Kirkus reads: “Explored throughout are millennial culture, indie rock, and ‘the psychically fallow Bush years.’ Totally of their time, these characters spend a lot of time smoking weed pens, playing video games, and posting on social media. A frequently funny meditation on memory and loss.” Debutiful named it one of “The Most Anticipated Debut Books of 2025,” with reviewer Adam Vitcavage praising: “Gordon gets humanity and writes subtle moments with gorgeous prose.” The novel was also listed on Bookshop.org’s “50 Preorder Picks: Books We Can’t Wait to Read.” Lastly, The Millions published an essay by Gordon titled “A Year in Reading.” Harper Perennial will publish the book on March 4, 2025.

HABITATIONS by Shiela Sundar received a fantastic review from Singapore Unbound. Reviewer Kristin T. Lee raves: “[W]hile HABITATIONS is very much an immigrant novel, there is a broad appeal in how it plumbs the unspoken wants of the human heart. Loneliness, the unremitting pain of losing a loved one, the constraints of familial obligation, the yearning towards freedom—these universal themes are explored with tender authenticity…With intelligent social commentary, wise insight into the human heart, and refined prose, HABITATIONS sings a quiet refrain of loss, longing, striving, and devotion—a subtle showstopper of a novel.” Simon & Schuster published the book on April 2, 2024.

Mason Coile’s WILLIAM continues to receive rave reviews. In The Guardian, Lisa Tuttle writes: “The tension mounts in a brilliantly plotted story combining horror tropes, suspense and metaphysical speculation about the nature of the soul: a terrifying, thought-provoking read.” Meanwhile, Criminal Element reviewer Doreen Sheridan praises WILLIAM as “a cinematic, cautionary tale of bleeding edge robotics gone terribly awry.” In The Hippo’s Oct. 10 issue, Jennifer Graham writes: “It is the sort of book you have to read twice…I don’t like horror, but I loved this absorbing, disturbing little book.” Lastly, for The Toronto Star, Alex Good writes: “WILLIAM is a short, sharp shock of a book…Mason Coile keeps the human rats running through the maze at a brisk, entertaining pace and wraps things up with a great ending.” WILLIAM was published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons on September 10, 2024.

THE FOURTH CONSORT by Edward Ashton received a starred review from Library Journal. Marlene Harris writes: “This is a deep surprise of a story as it contemplates the perils and pitfalls of communication and the difficulty of reaching anything like understanding with a species with which one shares few if any frames of reference…Readers who found the struggle to communicate in Ray Nayler’s THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SEA will enjoy the equally fraught miscommunications between the minarchs, the ‘stickmen,’ and the humans, while fans of the classic STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION episode ‘Darmok’ will find this to be a familiar and similarly complex and heartbreaking tale.” St. Martin’s Press will publish the book on February 25, 2025.