September 2022 Adult Top 10 Picks

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  1. Before We Were Trans
    by Dr. Kit Heyam
    Seal Press
    Sep 13, 2022
    SOCIAL SCIENCE / LGBTQ+ Studies / Transgender Studies
    Hardback
    Before We Were Trans
    by Dr. Kit Heyam
    Seal Press
    Sep 13, 2022
    SOCIAL SCIENCE / LGBTQ+ Studies / Transgender Studies
    Hardback
    A groundbreaking global history of gender nonconformity 

    Today’s narratives about trans people tend to feature individuals with stable gender identities that fit neatly into the categories of male or female. Those stories, while important, fail to account for the complex realities of many trans people’s lives.

    Before We Were Trans illuminates the stories of people across the globe, from antiquity to the present, whose experiences of gender have defied binary categories. Blending historical analysis with sharp cultural criticism, trans historian and activist Kit Heyam offers a new, radically inclusive trans history, chronicling expressions of trans experience that are often overlooked, like gender-nonconforming fashion and wartime stage performance. Before We Were Trans transports us from Renaissance Venice to seventeenth-century Angola, from Edo Japan to early America, and looks to the past to uncover new horizons for possible trans futures. 
    View this title on BNC CataList
  2. The Marriage Portrait
    by Maggie O'Farrell
    Knopf Canada
    Sep 06, 2022
    FICTION / Literary
    Hardback
    The Marriage Portrait
    by Maggie O'Farrell
    Knopf Canada
    Sep 06, 2022
    FICTION / Literary
    Hardback
    REESE’S BOOK CLUB DECEMBER PICK
    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    The author of award-winning Hamnet brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de' Medici as she makes her way in a troubled court.

    “I could not stop reading this incredible true story.” —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club December ’22 Pick)

    "O’Farrell pulls out little threads of historical detail to weave this story of a precocious girl sensitive to the contradictions of her station ... You may know the history, and you may think you know what’s coming, but don’t be so sure." —The Washington Post


    Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and to devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Moderna and Regio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf.

    Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must now make her way in a troubled court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her new husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate he appeared to be before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble?

    As Lucrezia sits in constricting finery for a painting intended to preserve her image for centuries to come, one thing becomes worryingly clear. In the court’s eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferranese dynasty. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, the new duchess’s future hangs entirely in the balance.

    Full of the drama and verve with which she illuminated the Shakespearean canvas of Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life, and offers an unforgettable portrait of a resilient young woman’s battle for her very survival.
    View this title on BNC CataList
  3. Something in the Heir
    by Suzanne Enoch
    St. Martin's Griffin
    Sep 20, 2022
    FICTION / Romance / Historical / Regency
    Paperback / softback
    Something in the Heir
    by Suzanne Enoch
    St. Martin's Griffin
    Sep 20, 2022
    FICTION / Romance / Historical / Regency
    Paperback / softback

    One of Publishers Weekly’s Top 10 Romances of the Fall!

    New York Times bestseller, Suzanne Enoch takes a delightful new path in her joyful historical romantic comedy, Something in the Heir.

    Smart, capable heiress Emmeline Pershing will do anything to keep her beloved home; and all it takes is an arranged marriage and a teeny white lie to fulfill her family’s silly inheritance rules. But now her little fib means that she and her completely unsuspecting husband are going to inherit big — and very messy! —trouble.


    Emmeline and William Pershing have enjoyed a perfectly convenient marriage for eight years. Their relationship is a seamless blend of their talents and goals. They’ve settled into separate, well-ordered lives beneath the same roof, and are content to stay that way—or so Emmeline thinks. And if William has secretly longed for a bit more from the woman he adores, he’s managed to be content with her supreme skills as a hostess and planner, which has helped him advance his career.

    Then when Emmeline’s grandfather, the reclusive Duke of Welshire, summons them both for his birthday celebration and demands they bring their two little angelic children, William is stunned to discover that his very proper wife invented not one, but two heirs to fulfill the agreement for living at Winnover. But surely if Emmeline and William team up and borrow two cherubs to call their own, what could go wrong? Enter George, age 8, and Rose, 5—the two most unruly orphans in Britain.

    As the insanity unfolds, their careful, professional arrangement takes some surprisingly intimate turns as well. Perhaps it takes a bit of madness to create the perfect happily ever after.

    View this title on BNC CataList
  4. Nadiya's Everyday Baking
    by Nadiya Hussain
    Clarkson Potter
    Oct 11, 2022
    COOKING / Methods / Baking
    Hardback
    Nadiya's Everyday Baking
    by Nadiya Hussain
    Clarkson Potter
    Oct 11, 2022
    COOKING / Methods / Baking
    Hardback
    The beloved Netflix host and New York Times bestselling author of Nadiya Bakes and Time to Eat presents more than ninety sweet and savory recipes for every meal, occasion, or mood.

    Nadiya Hussain, winner of The Great British Baking Show, knows that what we bake depends on the day of the week and what mood we’re in. In Nadiya’s Everyday Baking, Nadiya shares nearly 100 simple and achievable recipes for breakfast, dinner, dessert, and everything in between.

    Organized by situation and occasion, Nadiya’s recipes are designed to always provide for a delicious, rewarding meal no matter what kind of day you’re having:

    • Everyday Kind of Days when you’re short on time: Harissa Pita Pockets, Sweet Potato Jalapeño Gratin, Crispy Tofu Lettuce Wraps
    Chill Out Days when you want to move and cook slowly: Spring Onion Pancakes, Tandoori Chicken Naan Sando, Spicy Smashed Chickpeas
    Rainbow Days when you need some color in your diet: Spinach and Paneer-Stuffed Shells, Crunchy Okra Fries, Fruity Baked Ricotta Dip
    • Happy Days when you want to cook something uplifting and celebratory: Paprika Egg Phyllo Tart, Mushroom Carnitas, Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Pie
    • Baking Days with simple desserts for beginner bakers as well as elevated bakes for experienced ones: Cake in a Jar, Hot Chocolate Custard Pudding, Indian Gulab Jamun Cheesecake

    This stunning collection of recipes, alongside delightful photography and Nadiya’s warm, inspirational voice, is sure to become a new favorite for home cooks and bakers alike.
    View this title on BNC CataList
  5. We Spread
    by Iain Reid Canada
    Simon & Schuster
    Sep 27, 2022
    FICTION / Thrillers / Suspense
    Hardback
    We Spread
    by Iain Reid Canada
    Simon & Schuster
    Sep 27, 2022
    FICTION / Thrillers / Suspense
    Hardback
    FINALIST FOR THE GOVERNOR GENERAL’S LITERARY AWARDS

    The author of the “evocative, spine-tingling, and razor-sharp” (Bustle) I’m Thinking of Ending Things that inspired the Netflix original movie and the “short, shocking psychological three-hander” (The Guardian) Foe returns with a new work of philosophical suspense.

    Penny, an artist, has lived in the same apartment for decades, surrounded by the artifacts and keepsakes of her long life. She is resigned to the mundane rituals of old age, until things start to slip. Before her longtime partner passed away years earlier, provisions were made, unbeknownst to her, for a room in a unique long-term care residence, where Penny finds herself after one too many “incidents.”

    Initially, surrounded by peers, conversing, eating, sleeping, looking out at the beautiful woods that surround the house, all is well. She even begins to paint again. But as the days start to blur together, Penny—with a growing sense of unrest and distrust—starts to lose her grip on the passage of time and on her place in the world. Is she succumbing to the subtly destructive effects of aging, or is she an unknowing participant in something more unsettling?

    At once compassionate and uncanny, told in spare, hypnotic prose, Iain Reid’s genre-defying third novel explores questions of conformity, art, productivity, relationships, and what, ultimately, it means to grow old.
    View this title on BNC CataList
  6. Ghosts from the Library: Lost Tales of Terror and the Supernatural (A Bodies from the Library special)
    by Tony Medawar
    Collins Crime Club
    Sep 29, 2022
    FICTION / Anthologies
    Hardback
    Ghosts from the Library: Lost Tales of Terror and the Supernatural (A Bodies from the Library special)
    by Tony Medawar
    Collins Crime Club
    Sep 29, 2022
    FICTION / Anthologies
    Hardback

    A brand new anthology of previously unpublished and uncollected supernatural mysteries by some of the masters of the Golden Age – thrills, spills and chills perfect for Halloween.

    View this title on BNC CataList
  7. A Haunted History of Invisible Women
    by Leanna Renee Hieber
    Citadel
    Sep 27, 2022
    HISTORY / Women
    Paperback / softback
    A Haunted History of Invisible Women
    by Leanna Renee Hieber
    Citadel
    Sep 27, 2022
    HISTORY / Women
    Paperback / softback
    "Deliciously eerie.” —Leslie Rule, Bestselling Author

    From the notorious Lizzie Borden to the innumerable, haunted rooms of Sarah Winchester's mysterious mansion this offbeat, insightful, first-ever book of its kind from the brilliant guides behind “Boroughs of the Dead,” featured on NPR.org, The New York Times, and Jezebel, explores the history behind America’s female ghosts, the stereotypes, myths, and paranormal tales that swirl around them, what their stories reveal about us—and why they haunt us . . .


    Bram Stoker Award Finalist for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction

    Sorrowful widows, vengeful jezebels, innocent maidens, wronged lovers, former slaves, even the occasional axe-murderess—America’s female ghosts differ widely in background, class, and circumstance. Yet one thing unites them: their ability to instill fascination and fear, long after their deaths. Here are the full stories behind some of the best-known among them, as well as the lesser-known—though no less powerful.

    Tales whispered in darkness often divulge more about the teller than the subject. America’s most famous female ghosts, from from ‘Mrs. Spencer’ who haunted Joan Rivers’ New York apartment to Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem witchcraft trials, mirror each era’s fears and prejudices. Yet through urban legends and campfire stories, even ghosts like the nameless hard-working women lost in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire —achieve a measure of power and agency in death, in ways unavailable to them as living women.

    Riveting for skeptics and believers alike, with humor, curiosity, and expertise, A Haunted History of Invisible Women offers a unique lens on the significant role these ghostly legends play both within the spook-seeking corners of our minds and in the consciousness of a nation.

    "A Haunted History of Invisible Women looks beyond the legends of maligned female ghosts and gives us their real histories. It is both a meditation on the misogyny of a ghost-hunting culture that capitalizes on false narratives of sex and death, and a fascinating look at the flesh-and-blood women behind the ghost stories. This book is a long-overdue search for historic truth, yet it recognizes that “When it comes to ghosts, truth is as elusive as the spirits themselves.” Chris Woodyard, Author of The Victorian Book of the Dead.

    Afterword by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Linda D. Addison
    View this title on BNC CataList
  8. A Minor Chorus
    by Billy-Ray Belcourt Canada
    Hamish Hamilton
    Sep 13, 2022
    FICTION / Indigenous / General
    Hardback
    A Minor Chorus
    by Billy-Ray Belcourt Canada
    Hamish Hamilton
    Sep 13, 2022
    FICTION / Indigenous / General
    Hardback
    *WINNER OF THE 2023 BC AND YUKON ETHEL WILSON PRIZE*
    *LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE*
    NATIONAL BESTSELLER

    An urgent first novel about breaching the prisons we live inside from one of Canada’s most daring literary talents.


    An unnamed narrator abandons his unfinished thesis and returns to northern Alberta in search of what eludes him: the shape of the novel he yearns to write, an autobiography of his rural hometown, the answers to existential questions about family, love, and happiness.

    What ensues is a series of conversations, connections, and disconnections that reveals the texture of life in a town literature has left unexplored, where the friction between possibility and constraint provides an insistent background score.

    Whether he’s meeting with an auntie distraught over the imprisonment of her grandson, engaging in rez gossip with his cousin at a pow wow, or lingering in bed with a married man after a hotel room hookup, the narrator makes space for those in his orbit to divulge their private joys and miseries, testing the theory that storytelling can make us feel less lonely.

    Populated by characters as alive and vast as the boreal forest, and culminating in a breathtaking crescendo, A Minor Chorus is a novel about how deeply entangled the sayable and unsayable can become—and about how ordinary life, when pressed, can produce hauntingly beautiful music.
    View this title on BNC CataList
  9. The Golden Enclaves
    by Naomi Novik
    Del Rey
    Sep 27, 2022
    FICTION / Fantasy / Epic
    Hardback
    The Golden Enclaves
    by Naomi Novik
    Del Rey
    Sep 27, 2022
    FICTION / Fantasy / Epic
    Hardback
    #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in the triumphant conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate.

    FINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Paste, Publishers Weekly

    The one thing you never talk about while you’re in the Scholomance is what you’ll do when you get out. Not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way. But it’s all we dream about: the hideously slim chance we’ll survive to make it out the gates and improbably find ourselves with a life ahead of us, a life outside the Scholomance halls.

    And now the impossible dream has come true. I’m out, we’re all out—and I didn’t even have to turn into a monstrous dark witch to make it happen. So much for my great-grandmother’s prophecy of doom and destruction. I didn’t kill enclavers, I saved them. Me and Orion and our allies. Our graduation plan worked to perfection: We saved everyone and made the world safe for all wizards and brought peace and harmony to all the enclaves everywhere.

    Ha, only joking! Actually, it’s gone all wrong. Someone else has picked up the project of destroying enclaves in my stead, and probably everyone we saved is about to get killed in the brewing enclave war. And the first thing I’ve got to do now, having miraculously gotten out of the Scholomance, is turn straight around and find a way back in.
    View this title on BNC CataList
  10. People Person
    by Candice Carty-Williams
    Gallery/Scout Press
    Sep 13, 2022
    FICTION / Friendship
    Hardback
    People Person
    by Candice Carty-Williams
    Gallery/Scout Press
    Sep 13, 2022
    FICTION / Friendship
    Hardback
    The author of the “brazenly hilarious, tell-it-like-it-is first novel” (Oprah Daily) Queenie returns with another witty and insightful “treat” (Jesse Armstrong, creator of Succession) of a novel about the power of family—even when they seem like strangers.

    If you could choose your family...you wouldn’t choose the Penningtons.

    Dimple Pennington knows of her half-siblings, but she doesn’t really know them. Five people who don’t have anything in common except for faint memories of being driven through Brixton in their dad’s gold jeep, and some pretty complex abandonment issues. Dimple has bigger things to think about.

    She’s thirty, and her life isn’t really going anywhere. An aspiring lifestyle influencer with a wayward boyfriend, Dimple’s life has shrunk to the size of a phone screen. And despite a small but loyal following, she’s never felt more alone in her life. That is, until a dramatic event brings her half-siblings—Nikisha, Danny, Lizzie, and Prynce—crashing back into her life. And when they’re all forced to reconnect with Cyril Pennington, the absent father they never really knew, things get even more complicated.

    Vibrant and charming, People Person is “a way-out combination of family drama, madcap plot, and political edge” (Kirkus Reviews).
    View this title on BNC CataList

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