Charles R. Smith Jr. is an acclaimed author, poet, and photographer. He was the recipient of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for his photography in My People, a picture book based on the poem by Langston Hughes. He was the first photographer to win the award. He also won the Coretta Scott King Author Honor for writing Twelve Rounds to Glory: The story of Muhammad Ali. Charles has over twenty-five books to his credit, including If: A Father’s Advice to His Son, based on the poem by Rudyard Kipling, which he did photographs for. A native of Los Angeles, California, Charles now lives with his family in Poughkeepsie, New York. If he’s not working on a project or visiting a school, Charles enjoys martial arts, coaching youth sports, and spending time with his kids.

Charles R. Smith, Jr.

Brooke Siler founded re:AB Pilates in 1997, the renowned studio for authentic Pilates training in New York City, where her clients have included Madonna, Lauren Hutton, Zooey Deschanel, Liv Tyler and more. Hailed as the "trainer to the stars," she trained under Joseph Pilates' protégée, Romana Kryzanowska, for over a decade. Brooke also heads the teacher training program at reAB Pilates - named the "Gold Standard" of training programs by Time Out Magazine - where the next generation of Pilates teachers earn their stripes. Brooke has been recognized by Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Women's Health, Fitness, Shape, PilatesStyle and multiple dozens more as one of the world's leading fitness experts. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children, and teaches internationally.

THE PILATES BODY

Brooke Siler

Faye Delacour was raised in the Canadian prairies before deciding that she needed a challenge and should move to a place where everybody spoke French. She now lives in Montreal with her partner and three children, a reformed street cat, and a shepherd who hasn't yet accepted that he can't herd a cat.

Faye writes historical romance featuring strong feminist heroines and enthusiastic consent.

A MOST WORTHY HUSBAND

Faye Delacour

Debutiful has selected Freda Epum's memoir THE GLOOMY GIRL VARIETY SHOW as one of their Best Debut Books of 2025.

THE GLOOMY GIRL VARIETY SHOW Named a Best Debut Book of 2025 by Debutiful

Barnes & Noble has selected Matthew McConaughey's POEMS & PRAYERS (Crown) as one of their Best Memoirs of the Year.

POEMS & PRAYERS Is a B&N Memoir of the Year

The Next Big Idea Club selected Paul Leonardi’s DIGITAL EXHAUSTION (Riverhead) as one of its twelve best productivity books of 2025, calling it "A revelatory examination of why you’re feeling so worn out—and practical daily strategies to change your relationship with your devices."

DIGITAL EXHAUSTION Is a Next Big Idea Club Best Productivity Book

The Globe and Mail selected Paul Leonardi’s DIGITAL EXHAUSTION (Riverhead) as one of its ten best management books of 2025.

DIGITAL EXHAUSTION Is a Globe and Mail Best Management Book

The New York Public Library librarians selected their best books of 2025, and Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) is on their Best Books for Adults list. 

THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS Is a NYPL Best Book of 2025

The New York Times featured five books, including Cal Newport’s DIGITAL MINIMALISM (Portfolio), that are recommended by therapists and researchers to help people disconnect from tech. “These five titles—some considered classics—have consistently proven helpful, even as technology keeps evolving.”

NYT Features DIGITAL MINIMALISM

Publishers Weekly have named their most anticipated novels for Spring/Summer 2026, and Shannon Sanders's debut novel The Great Wherever is in their Top 10!

THE GREAT WHEREVER by Shannon Sanders Named One of Publishers Weekly's 10 Most Anticipated Literary Fiction titles for Spring/Summer 2026

Barnes & Noble has selected Brandon Stanton’s DEAR NEW YORK (St. Martin's) as one of their Best Gift Books of the Year.

DEAR NEW YORK Is a B&N Gift Book of the Year

“Murphy crafts a foreboding atmosphere from the jump and makes the occult elements at the center of the story feel entirely plausible. This is a winner.”

THE GHOST WOMEN Reviewed in Publishers Weekly

“This fast-paced novel set in the South Carolina Lowcountry combines magic, mysticism, and mystery into an engrossing and entertaining story that is difficult to put down. Recommended for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Alex Michaelides”

THE GHOST WOMEN Reviewed in Library Journal Review

"The sky isn't the limit but, rather, the beginning...Radiant shooting stars streak across the dark expanse of the universe, lighting Jemison's path not only through the unknown but toward her dazzling dreams."

THROUGH THE TELESCOPE Reviewed in Booklist

Charles R. Smith's BLACK DIAMOND KINGS has been selected by School Library Journal as one of their Best Poetry Books of 2025.

BLACK DIAMOND KINGS Is a School Library Journal Book of the Year

The cover for Liana De la Rosa's contemporary romance MUTUAL DISCORD (Berkley) was revealed by People Magazine in an exclusive on November 19, 2025.

People Magazine Reveals the Cover for Liana De la Rosa's MUTUAL DISCORD

Kirkus Reviews has selected Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) as one of their Best Nonfiction Books of the Year.

THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS Is a Kirkus Nonfiction Book of the Year

Kirkus Reviews has selected Anika Burgess’s FLASHES OF BRILLIANCE (W.W. Norton) as one of their Best Nonfiction Books of the Year. 

FLASHES OF BRILLIANCE Is a Kirkus Nonfiction Book of the Year

Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) has been selected by Amazon as one of their Top 20 Books of 2025.

THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS Is an Amazon Book of the Year

"Shamir’s adaptation of a variety of Traister’s writings is an accessible primer on the history of women’s activism in the United States... A brilliant overview of essential history."

Kirkus Gives ANGRY GIRLS WILL GET US THROUGH a Starred Review

Texas Standard included Simran Jeet Singh's interview about FAUJA SINGH KEEPS GOING as their third best book interview in the publication's history.

Texas Standard Names Simran Jeet Singh as their 3rd Best Book Interview of All Time

Matthew McConaughey's POEMS & PRAYERS debuted at #1 on the Hardcover Nonfiction New York Times Best Sellers list on the week of October 5, 2025.

POEMS & PRAYERS Is a #1 New York Times Bestseller

Brandon Stanton's work is being featured throughout Grand Central Station.

DEAR NEW YORK Exhibit at Grand Central Station

Brandon Stanton spoke with CBS News about "Humans of New York" and his new book DEAR NEW YORK (St. Martin's Press). 

Brandon Stanton Featured on CBS News

Rebecca Boyle’s OUR MOON (Random House) is the winner of a PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award, named for the late poet and professor at the University of California at Berkeley. The award was created "to provide recognition for outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America’s diverse literary community.”

OUR MOON Wins a PEN Oakland Award

The Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust has announced that Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) is on the shortlist for their 2025 Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature. A panel of judges will determine the winning book as one that has “made an outstanding contribution to mountain literature."

THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS Is on the Shortlist for the Boardman Tasker Award

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) has named Emily Sohn as the recipient of the 2025 Kovler Prize for Trust in Life Science Journalism. The prize "recognizes an individual who has significantly increased the public’s awareness and understanding of life sciences through a distinguished body of journalistic work.” Sohn is the author of the forthcoming book THE NEW WILDERNESS (Sourcebooks).

Emily Sohn Wins Kovler Prize

"Debut author Karleigh Frisbie Brogan has written a remarkably assured memoir with Holding, an account of her addiction and recovery that reads like a beautiful mosaic of broken glass: sharp, painful, and filled with glints of light... The quality of Brogan's prose and her deep understanding of her addiction and her own human condition make Holding a standout among similarly themed memoirs."

Shelf Awareness Gives HOLDING a Starred Review

"The book goes beyond conversations about PTSD to focus on “post-traumatic growth”—or how survivors discover sexual agency despite and because of the violence they’ve endured. It offers survivors like myself a manual of helpful suggestions, a fascinating window into a range of survivors’ sex lives, and a deep dive into the sexual challenges Simon faced. Ultimately, though, what Tell Me What You Like offers is hope . . . It invites us to imagine sexual safety and pleasure together."

L.A. Review of Books Interviews Katie Simon about TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKE

Barbara Shapiro's THE LOST MASTERPIECE is a USA Today Bestseller for the week of September 3rd, 2025. 

THE LOST MASTERPIECE is a USA Today Bestseller

The New York Times featured Craig Malkin's RETHINKING NARCISSISM among "4 Approaches to Dealing With a Narcissist": "The book is 'particularly interesting because the author speaks to the universal need to feel special,' Dr. Tummala-Narra said, adding that the language is clear and accessible."

The NYT Highlights RETHINKING NARCISSISM

"Anyabwile and Kellman's artwork blends the vibrancy of Harlem with the comic books beloved by young Walter, nicely differentiating this newly visual exploration of the adolescence of one of the most respected youth authors of our time. An illuminating companion to the original."

BAD BOYS: A GRAPHIC MEMOIR Reviewed in Booklist

On behalf of KNAU Arizona Public Radio, Melissa L. Sevigny, author of BRAVE THE WILD RIVER (W.W. Norton) was awarded an Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Writing in the small market radio category for her piece, “Smokey Bear Turns 80 Today. Some Celebrate Him—and Others Worry His Message Is Out of Date.”

Melissa L. Sevigny Wins Murrow Award

Jason Wilson joined Mel Robbins on her podcast to discuss THE MAN THE MOMENT DEMANDS.

Jason Wilson Featured on The Mel Robbins Podcast

Andrew Kolb’s WONDERLAND (Andrews McMeel) won a silver Ennie Award in the category of Best Layout & Design. The book was also nominated in the categories of Best Monster/Adversary and Best Cartography. 

WONDERLAND Wins an Ennie Award

“A dreamy tale of space flight to set aspiring astronauts’ minds whirling.” 

THROUGH THE TELESCOPE Reviewed by Kirkus

The Next Big Idea Club has selected Paul Leonardi’s DIGITAL EXHAUSTION (Riverhead) as a "Must-Read Book" for October 2025, saying: "A revelatory examination of why you’re feeling so worn out—and practical daily strategies to change your relationship with your devices."

DIGITAL EXHAUSTION Is a Next Big Idea Club Must Read

Emily Sohn, author of the forthcoming THE NEW WILDERNESS: How Life Endures in the Most Unexpected Places (Sourcebooks), is the winner of the 2025 Sharon Begley Award for Science Reporting. Said bioGraphic editor-in-chief Steven Bedard, “I know the book will provide compelling examples of hope and resilience at a time when the public desperately needs these types of stories.” 

Emily Sohn Wins 2025 Sharon Begley Award

"After 15 years of working through my own trauma, I wrote a book, Tell Me What You Like: An Honest Discussion of Sex and Intimacy After Sexual Assault, to help others do the same. Through personal healing and research into how to better cope with trauma’s fallout, I’ve learned a lot about how to navigate trauma anniversaries."

Katie Simon's essay "How to Navigate a Trauma Anniversary" for Vogue

For years after Katie Simon was raped, "good sex" meant feeling safe, not satisfied. Through candid conversations with other survivors—and plenty of trial and error—she learned how to unlock real desire on her own terms.

TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKE Excerpted in Oprah Daily

Ahead of her new book Tell Me What You Like, author Katie Simon talks with porn director Erika Lust about how ethical porn can help women who have been sexually assaulted regain their sexual autonomy.

Katie Simon Interviews Erika Lust for Playboy Magazine

"For their book, Tell Me What You Like: An Honest Discussion of Sex and Intimacy After Sexual Assault, Katie Simon wanted to understand how a person continues to heal after being assaulted. Ultimately, Katie concluded that for our sex lives to grow, we must both recognize our triggers and our turn-ons. That’s why the book covers topics that include boundaries, panic, consent, regret, kink, false beliefs, breakups, and aftercare. A nonbinary survivor themself, Katie wrote Tell Me What You Like for all survivors across the sexuality and gender spectrum."

The Queer Love Project Interviews Katie Simon About TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKE

"Simon’s treatment of this difficult subject is frank, broadly accepting of diverse reactions, and forthrightly sex-positive, asserting that survivors can and should expect to recover a gratifying sex life. Throughout, her writing is evocative, raw, and psychologically rich, as when she describes a first sexual experience after an assault...A clear-eyed and deeply humane exploration of how people may heal from sexual violence."

TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKE Gets a Starred Review from Kirkus

The New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) has selected JUST UNTIL by Joseph Moldover as a finalist for the New England Book Award.

JUST UNTIL Named a 2025 New England Book Award Finalist

Porchlight Books recommended four books for the week of July 1, including Kimberly Potts’ IT’S (ALMOST) ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (Gallery), saying: "As thoughtful, provocative, and engaging as the show itself, this book also explores how the show has pushed the envelope and used absurdist comedy to explore major societal issues, including the #MeToo movement, LGBTQ+ rights, racism, and more.” 

Porchlight Recommends IT’S (ALMOST) ALWAYS SUNNY

The New York Times reviewed Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS, and said: “The Beast in the Clouds is Nathalia Holt's immersive, sometimes harrowing account of the siblings’ Himalayan adventure… Absorbing.”

NYT Reviews THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS

BookBub released their July humor picks and included Kimberly Potts' IT’S (ALMOST) ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (Gallery). 

BookBub Names IT’S (ALMOST) ALWAYS SUNNY Among Best New Humor Books

Amazon has selected Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) as a Best Book of July, and editor Lindsay Powers picked the book as her Personal Pick for the month, saying: “This heart-thumping adventure through the Himalayas alongside Teddy Roosevelt’s sons will keep your pulse elevated for all of its brisk 288 pages. It’s full of larger-than-life swagger, surprising self-awareness, and satisfying twists… a rip-roaring journey back in time through a world that no longer exists. Great narrative history.”

THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS Is an Amazon Best Book of July

Vulture included Saul Austerlitz’s KIND OF A BIG DEAL (Dutton) on its updated list of "119 Books Every Comedy Fan Should Read," saying: “Austerlitz, one of the world’s few comedy-history professors, weaves an oral history of the film that gives Anchorman its place in the funny-film canon — but also demonstrates how it’s a tipping point and opening salvo in a comedic-philosophy war that would possibly permanently send its creators, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, down very different career paths."

KIND OF A BIG DEAL Is Named to Vulture’s Ultimate Comedy Library

Vulture included Jennifer Keishin Armstrong’s SEINFELDIA on its updated list of "119 Books Every Comedy Fan Should Read,” saying: "Many books will be written about Seinfeld…. Armstrong has the best take possible. She dives deep into the show’s history and mythology of the show’s huge universe, obsessing over the minutia of the show as if she were a Seinfeld character." 

SEINFELDIA Is Named to Vulture’s Ultimate Comedy Library

The New York Times recommended six podcasts to boost productivity, including Deep Questions with Cal Newport, saying: "As he addresses listener questions and shares concrete tips and techniques, Newport also encourages his audience to question their assumptions about productivity as a goal in itself."

NYT Recommends "Deep Questions with Cal Newport”

Genevieve Plunkett’s story “The Cat Sitter” opens with two salacious pieces of small town gossip . . . Far from horrifying or repulsing Becky, these developments stir up in her longings that seem at once deeply rooted, freshly urgent, and endlessly confusing.

Genevieve Plunkett's story "The Cat Sitter" Published by Electric Literature's Recommended Reading

"Ryan has written her best book to date, which should be on everyone’s reading list.”

Library Journal Gives ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS a Starred Review

Finding Pleasure After Pain: For some assault survivors, “good sex” doesn’t happen easily. Sometimes it’s not even the goal.

TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKE Excerpted in The Cut

"More than blood seeps into the soil of an elite Napa Valley winery in the outstanding Blood on the Vine. TV writer and showrunner J.T. Falco packs his first novel with murder, competitive businesses, family rivalry, greed, sex-cult rumors, controversial farming methods, and entitlement, but his smooth plotting and attention to fully realized characters ensure that this crime procedural doesn't seem overstuffed."

BLOOD ON THE VINE Named a Best Book of the Week by Shelf Awareness

"Shapiro shines in her depictions of Berthe’s life and the challenges faced by women artists in 19th-century Paris."

THE LOST MASTERPIECE Reviewed in Publishers Weekly

"Tamara and Berthe are intense and intrepid women in two very different worlds, united by blood and art, a connection Shapiro infuses with supernatural elements as she orchestrates acts of passion, daring, and determination, mixing compelling art history with zesty fabrication, full-blown romance, and cleverly devised suspense."

THE LOST MASTERPIECE Reviewed in Booklist

"[Shapiro’s] latest work is also a slam-dunk for historical fiction fans. With crafty enhancements of history, sexy updates to real relationships, and bold inventions, Shapiro lays bare the genius and passion of Manet and Morisot and brings impressionism to life."

THE LOST MASTERPIECE Reviewed in Library Journal

Author Lucy Bledsoe on courage and celebrating Pride Month with books, including her latest novel TELL THE REST.

Author Lucy Bledsoe Interviewed on KCBX Public Radio's Bookwaves

From Title IX trailblazer to Valkyries superfan, Lucy Jane Bledsoe's discusses her full-circle basketball journey on CBS News.

Author Lucy Jane Bledsoe on CBS News Bay Area

Joseph Moldover's YA novel JUST UNTIL has been named a Best Children's Book of the Year (with Outstanding Merit) by the Bank Street College of Education

JUST UNTIL Named a Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year (with Outstanding Merit)

LOST ARK DREAMING is a Finalist for the 2025 Ignyte Award, in the Best Novella Category!

LOST ARK DREAMING Finalist for 2025 Ignyte Awards

Barnes & Noble has selected Keith Houston’s THE BOOK (W.W. Norton) as one of the best history books of 2025 (so far), saying: "Bibliophiles, listen up! From writing to printing to binding and more, this is a comprehensive exploration of one of our favorite things.” 

THE BOOK Is a B&N Best Book of 2025

The New York Times featured Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) among “21 Nonfiction Books Coming This Summer,” writing: "In 1928-29, Theodore Roosevelt’s two eldest sons went on a swashbuckling global adventure to prove the existence of the until-then mystical panda bear. Holt chronicles their journey into the Himalayan wilderness — marred by sickness, violence and extreme weather — and what the landmark mission meant for the future of wildlife conservation."

The NYT Highlights THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS

Leila Philip's BEAVERLAND was selected by the Connecticut Center for the Book to be featured at  the 2025 National Book Festival: “it is a masterful work of narrative science writing."

BEAVERLAND Chosen for 2025 National Book Festival

Christopher Moore was the New York Times' "By The Book" interview for the week of May 22, 2025.

Christopher Moore Featured in the New York Times

"Don't Let Me Go is a moving, beautifully written, epic love story (that gets steamy!) about two young men-one gay, one straight (maybe?)-whose vivid dreams of each other turn out to be memories of past lives of when they were lovers. The tragic twist? All their past lives die at a certain point in the love story. As the author of They Both Die at the End, you see why l'm such a fan of this story, right? If you vibe with my book or Robbie Couch's If I See You Again Tomorrow, I trust you'll be obsessed with this book! And the ending is..let's say…..very bold and brave."

DON'T LET ME GO Is The Adam Silvera Book Club’s June Pick

“A surefire hit for baseball fans young and old, and a resource for social studies, history, and language arts."

BLACK DIAMOND KINGS Reviewed in School Library Journal

HEARTBREAK IS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

DYKETTE

Monster is now a major motion picture starring Jennifer Hudson, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Nas, and A$AP Rocky.

Named one of The 100 Best YA Books of All Time by TIME Magazine

New York Times bestseller, 2000 Coretta Scott King Honor Book, 2000 Michael L. Printz Award, 1999 National Book Award Finalist, 2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA), Hornbook Fanfare 2000, 2000 Quick Picks for Young Adults (Recomm. Books for Reluctant Young Readers)

This bestselling novel from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial.

Presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.

Monster is a multi-award-winning, provocative coming-of-age story that was the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award recipient, an ALA Best Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor selection, and a National Book Award finalist.