TITAN OF THE STARS

The spaceship Titan’s maiden voyage is a weeklong journey from Earth to Mars. The more than 500 passengers include paying customers, who are enjoying a first-class experience, the crew, who are stressed about keeping the aforementioned group happy, and some journalists and scientists. Petrified aliens, found preserved in permafrost, are on display in cases. The …

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KARL MARX IN AMERICA

Karl Marx, historian Hartman writes, was fascinated by the U.S. as “the nation most committed to the economic and social systems formed by capitalism.” He had fleeting hope that his concept of freedom as encompassing economic independence would find a home in the U.S., even as Abraham Lincoln—who, casual readers might not know, was the …

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SOLO

The book opens during a hot August on Daisy’s 18th birthday, although she feels too miserable to enjoy the celebration. David is her second love after the recorder, but now he’s broken up with her. When school begins, Daisy meets new classmate Flora, who’s from Dublin and has her own passion for music as an …

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WHEN IT ALL BURNS

Joining the Los Padres Hotshots crew was an endeavor so intense that the interview alone involved answering questions while climbing a trail at a pace extreme enough that it verged on causing a blackout. As an elite firefighting crew, the hotshots are tasked with containing the most intense megafires and asked to do the most …

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DEEP BREATH

When the novel opens, Vera and her two small, unnamed daughters have already moved into her divorced father’s house, where her mother, Babika, visits frequently. Vera left her husband, Péter, after multiple incidents of verbal browbeating and physical violence that include locking her outside on the balcony and beating her on the head. Wanting her …

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SOME OF US

“Some of us are born American. Some choose,” the author proclaims as Lee introduces a diverse, smiling crowd of people dressed in red, white, and blue. As the narrative unfolds, adults and children alike make different journeys from far-flung places. Artful and versatile image compositions integrate American symbols, making for an accessible work that’s nevertheless …

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LIGHTHOUSE LADIES

Coronado highlights the bravery, fortitude, and persistence exhibited by four female lighthouse keepers. In 1869, Ida Lewis rowed out and rescued two sailors when their boat capsized in Rhode Island’s Newport Harbor. Juliet Nichols sounded a bell for hours to warn of fog in San Francisco Bay in 1906. In 1912, with low temperatures and …

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THE VILLAGE BEYOND THE MIST

At her father’s suggestion, sixth grader Lina Uesugi makes her way to the magical hidden town known as Misty Valley. When she arrives at Picotto Hall, Ms. Picotto, a severe elderly woman dressed in black, puts her to work in exchange for board. Assisting the local shopkeepers isn’t tough, but Lina’s true assignment turns out …

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THE QUEEN’S MUSICIAN

Mark Smeaton is born into inauspicious circumstances; his father is a poor carpenter, which, for most, would set one’s destiny in stone. However, he’s also a prodigiously talented musician—a composer, singer, and lutenist—and becomes a court musician for the king, who admires his abilities. He impresses Anne Boleyn as well, a beautiful woman of “silken …

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AND THE TREES STARE BACK

Five years ago, in 1984, Viktoria made a horrible mistake—during a moment of distraction, she let her 5-year-old sister disappear in the bog behind their house, a place where such events are common. Now Anna has returned, but she hasn’t aged. She can’t explain where she’s been, and the bog seems to call her back. …

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