I’m excited to welcome Julie Snider, whose debut novel, Chapel Bay Secrets, follows Brenda Kato, a Japanese American librarian in a quiet coastal California town, where a threatened book ban and long-buried tensions force everything she thought was safe into question. With themes of censorship, identity, bigotry, LGBTQ+ belonging, grief, and community, Chapel Bay Secrets is both timely and deeply human.

Christopher Mannino believes that one of the most powerful tools in parenting isn’t a schedule, a screen limit, or a perfect plan—it’s play.

In his new book, Making It Up: A Revolutionary Way to Bond with Kids Through Play, Christopher draws on the principles of improv and theater to show parents how to step into their children’s imaginative worlds—no acting background required. With the simple idea of “yes, and…,” he offers practical, playful techniques that fit into busy lives and transform just ten minutes a day into deeper connection, more confidence, and a lot more joy.

What if retirement isn’t the finish line—but the beginning of something more intentional? In From Work to What’s Next, husband-and-wife financial advisors Sarah K. Charles and Jim Charles rethink retirement as a redesign, not an ending. Drawing on 60 years of combined experience—and Jim’s own search for purpose after leaving his career—they share practical tools and real stories to help turn “now what?” into what’s next.