Fall is in the air. As the weather turns colder and the nights grow longer, it’s the perfect time to get cozy and curl up with a new book (or three.) So, grab a warm drink and settle in with one of these new releases from the Arlington Public Library.
Fiction
A Wall is Also a Road by Annalee Newitz
Graduate student Gardenpath discovers intelligent life on a distant planet, even though everyone insists such a thing cannot exist. To prove they’re right, Gardenpath (who happens to be a sentient slime mold) disguises themselves as human and travels to Earth, specifically ancient Pompeii. As their research draws them deeper into this strange society, Gardenpath must confront the biases of their own academic world, a corrupt professor, and the limits of what they thought they knew about intelligence and civilization. Blending first contact, ancient history, and dark academia, Newitz offers a strange and hopeful exploration of communication, ethics, and the ways that encountering the unfamiliar can change us. Available October 6. Library catalog link here.
Samantha: The Next Chapter by Fiona Davis
After her grandmother dies, 25-year-old Samantha Parkington discovers the new will leaves her fortune and beloved home to a mysterious corporation. Convinced that her grandmother was deceived, Samantha moves to New York to investigate, taking a job at B. Altman and a room in a boardinghouse while infiltrating the criminal operation she believes is behind the scheme. Those who grew up with the original American Girl character will recognize her familiar grit and determination as she navigates the underbelly of 1920s New York and fights for women’s rights. Fans will love to see a grown-up Samantha, but this entertaining historical adventure stands completely on its own. Available October 13. Library catalog link here.
Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones
Five years after the events of The Only Good Indians, Nate Yellow Tail is given a chance at redemption when he joins three older Blackfeet on a road trip from Montana to Pennsylvania. Their mission is to recover and repatriate the bones of a Blackfeet boy who was murdered at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, but when something evil follows them home, their journey becomes a fight for survival. Jones blends horror, a darkly funny road trip, and a deeply human story of grief and survivors’ guilt, while confronting the lasting horrors of America’s treatment of Native people. This powerful take on possession is haunting, visceral, and surprisingly tender. Available October 13. Library catalog link here.
The Throwaways by Greta Kelly
When college student Aster Calloway sells her grandmother’s Fabergé music box to help fund her mother’s mayoral campaign, she unknowingly sets off a dangerous chain of events. Hidden inside the heirloom was a list of names that protected Iris, a former KGB operative, and her family for decades. Now the list is gone, a creepy doll has appeared on Poppy’s doorstep, and three dangerous spies are closing in. As Aster, Poppy, and Iris confront the secrets that have shaped their family for generations, their complicated mother-daughter relationships add an emotional foundation to the Cold War intrigue. With plenty of twists, humor, and Olympic-level family banter, this is a page-turning thriller with a satisfying emotional core. Available October 20. Library catalog link here.
Nonfiction
Stories in the Seams: A People’s History of Black Quilts and Their Makers by Sharbreon Plummer
This deep dive into Black American quilt-making traditions and history celebrates quilting as an enduring art form and a living record of American life. From the late 1700s until today, from practical items made for others to powerful works of protest art, quilting has been a medium to preserve culture, process grief, build community, and resist oppression. Deeply researched and fully illustrated with full-color and archival photographs, Plummer brings to life the stories of generations of quilters, including self-taught artists, community organizers, and renowned artists like Faith Ringgold and Bisa Butler. Available October 6. Library catalog link here.
Nature’s Magicians: How Leaves Conjure Up Our World by Jonathan Silvertown
Leaves are easy to overlook, but they are among the most remarkable and essential parts of life on Earth. Evolutionary biologist Jonathan Silvertown explores the many tricks leaves have developed, from transforming sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into food and oxygen to communicating with other parts of the plant, defending against predators, and even capturing water from fog. Along the way, he reveals the surprising evolutionary history behind their incredible variety of shapes, colors, and functions. He also considers how understanding the ingenuity of leaves might help us improve crops and address climate change through genetic modification. Engaging, accessible, and packed with fascinating facts, this lively exploration will give readers a whole new appreciation for the humble leaf. Available October 6. Library catalog link here.
Freedom’s Gate: Maya Angelou, Lorraine Hansberry, Abbey Lincoln, Miriam Makeba, and Nina Simone Live at the New York Nightclub That Shaped the Civil Rights Movement by Soyica Diggs Colbert
In 1950s and ’60s Greenwich Village, the Village Gate nightclub became an unlikely hub for Black art, activism, and political organizing. This group biography brings together the stories of Maya Angelou, Lorraine Hansberry, Abbey Lincoln, Miriam Makeba, and Nina Simone, exploring how their friendships and collaborations flourished. As their creative work became increasingly intertwined with the civil rights movement and global struggles for liberation, the Gate became a place to experiment, exchange ideas, and use art as a form of protest. Colbert offers rich historical and biographical context while exploring how these women influenced one another’s political consciousness and careers. Engaging and deeply researched, this powerful group biography celebrates the transformative potential of friendship, art, and collective action. Available October 13. Library catalog link here.
Tyrant Lizard Queen: The Love, Life, and Terror of Earth’s Greatest Carnivore by Riley Black
Meet Snaggletooth, a female Tyrannosaurus rex who hatches into the dangerous world of the Late Cretaceous and grows from a vulnerable hatchling into a formidable adult. Blending natural history, the latest research, and informed speculation, Black follows her through hunting, rivalries, storms, courtship, nesting, and raising a brood, while introducing the strange and fascinating ecosystem she calls home. Rather than portraying T. rex as a solitary killing machine, Black takes advantage of new research to imagine a more complex animal with a life beyond hunting and eating. Evocative storytelling, meticulous science, and beautiful illustrations bring the prehistoric world to vivid life in this intimate portrait of one of Earth’s most famous predators. Available October 27. Library catalog link here.
Middle Grade
This Is a Library Book: Check Out the Places and People Sharing Knowledge and Building Communities by Joyce Grant, illustrated by Chanelle Nibbelink
Take a tour of libraries throughout history and around the world, from the ancient Library of Alexandria to camel libraries in Pakistan, secret libraries, Little Queer Libraries, and collections that lend everything from tools to prom dresses. Meet the people who make libraries work and explore their roles as places of refuge, access to information, and community gathering spaces. With bright illustrations, fascinating facts, and interactive prompts, this lively celebration explores the many ways libraries help people learn, connect, and build community. Available October 6. Library catalog link here.
Young Adult
Children of Owl by Darcie Little Badger, illustrated by Abigail Rajunov
After 16-year-old Maisie encounters Owl, a mysterious spirit who warns her that tragedy is coming, she and her cousins Joel and Verona set out to prevent it. Along the way, they encounter a vengeful ghost, a strange foster kitten, and secrets buried in their Texas trailer park. Little Badger blends Indigenous storytelling with grief, family, and coming-of-age themes, while Rajunov’s atmospheric comic panels add another layer to the mixed-media narrative. Dreamlike and heartfelt, this is a sophisticated story about resilience, justice, and what we owe to those who came before us. Available October 6. Library catalog link here.
Jennie Rothschild is a collection engagement librarian for Arlington Public Library.
