The Midwinter Friday Fiction list is, admittedly, a little darker in tone than usual: There are suspense titles featuring anxiety ridden Londoners (Her Every Fear) and violence obsessed teens (The Female of the Species). A few politically charged titles featuring hopeful migrants (Exit West, Salt to the Sea) and jaded expats (The Refugees). And some hard-fought quests for identity amidst class (These Shallow Graves), race (Swing Time, Out of Darkness), social (All the Bright Places) and gender (Difficult Women) issues.

But there were a few bright spots in collection, sure to warm up your cold January days (though, frankly there haven’t been many…). All Our Wrong Todays is an hysterical sci-fi romp featuring an alternate 2016 with jetpacks and flying cars. To Capture What We Cannot See is a lush historical fiction featuring romance in Belle Epoque France. Despite its name, In Sunlight and in Shadow contains some amusing short works by your favorite suspense stars. And if recent events have you looking fondly to past presidential heroes, there is the meditative and reflective Lincoln in the Bardo.

So it’s not all bad. And at least we have Spring to look forward to.

Join us next time, on March 17, at 10:30AM, when we welcome Spring with some fresh new hardbound entertainment.