Bookshop Winter 2020 Newsletter

Readers

WINTER 2020

Dear Readers,

Outside of the holidays directly

after the 1989 earthquake, I am

not sure Bookshop Santa Cruz has ever faced a

more important holiday season. Throughout

the Covid-19 crisis, we have tried to be there for

our community as they worked to support us.

Now we are entering the crucial holiday

shopping season—a season that determines the

fate of retailers and small businesses for the

entire year to come. In order to be safe, we

won’t be able to have hundreds of people

packed into our store during the weeks in

November and December. Instead, we hope

that our customers can shift their shopping to

earlier this year and prioritize supporting local

businesses they want to survive. “Shop Early.

Shop Local!” is our motto. We have holiday

care packages, bookseller concierge

appointments, book recommendation virtual

happy hours, gift subscriptions, and more to

whet your appetite. We look forward to ﬁnding

the perfect gift for everyone on your list and by

doing so, move into 2021 on solid footing.

Thank you for your support!

—Casey Coonerty Protti

Owner, Bookshop Santa Cruz

COOKBOOK POTLUCK

ENTER OUR SHORT STORY CONTEST

STAFF PROFILE:

Melinda Powers

BOOKSHOP VIRTUAL EVENTS

GIFTS & GAMES

SLUG SHOP SPOTLIGHT

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

WINTER READING & GIFT GIVING

Staﬀ-recommended reading for all ages

KIDS BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

5

7

9

11

12

13

15

19

31

See page 29 See page 27 See page 26 See page 34 See page 19 See page 36

Preorder A Promised Land

by Barack Obama • Available November 17th

If you are looking for a way to help support

Bookshop during these challenging times,

preordering and buying the biggest book of the

year from us will go a long way to ensuring our

future. Plus, get a free Eat, Sleep, Read, Vote

tote bag! (While supplies last.) Thank you!

www.bookshopsantacruz.com/preorders

BOOKSHOP

Ornament

Make a donation of $25

(or more!) to Bookshop Santa

Cruz and receive an exclusive wooden ornament of

our iconic rocking horse to add to your tree. Your

donation will help Bookshop keep rockin’ into 2021.

Bookshop

H o l i d ay s

Holidays in a Box

Send some festive cheer with our Holiday Boxes for

Christmas or

Hanukkah! Adult

and kid versions

available. $35

• Christmas book

• Ornament

• Hot cocoa pack

(om Chocolate

Restaurant)

• Hanukkah book

• Prize ball

• Hanukkah gelt

Concierge

appointments

Shop early, shop local! Make an

appointment and browse the store

after we close to the public. Meet

one on one with an expert bookseller

who will help you ﬁnd great gifts for

everyone on your list. The $40 fee

translates into a $40 gift card to spend during your

appointment. October only.

WWW.BOOKSHOPSANTACRUZ.COM /HOLIDAYS

SEASON ’S READINGS

CARE PACK AGES

Send something special to

everyone on your list with

our customized Season’s

Readings Care Packages.

Each wrapped package

contains a book customized to

their tastes, plus two gift items

on a theme of your choice.

Enclosure cards say, “May your

holidays be ﬁlled with joy from

cover to cover.” You pick the ship date and check it off

your list!

Stocking grab bagS

After all, Santa is our middle name!

Let us help you stuff your stockings—you pick

the price and tell us the person’s interests and

we’ll provide a bagful of goodies that would

make St. Nick proud. Adult and kid options.

Happiness book

subscriptions

Send some

cheer that will

last all next

year with our

Happiness

Book Subscrip-

tion. Each

subscription

includes a book

that explores a different way to ﬁnd comfort and joy,

along with a beautifully printed literary quote to bring a

smile. Three-, 6- and 12-month subscriptions are

available for $25 per package (includes book, card, tax

and shipping).

CARE

PACK AGES

EXPERIENCES

SPECIAL

PRODUCTS

•

Fall

is the most glorious time of the year for any cookbook fan,

as a bounty of enticing new titles are released. And while the

pandemic put a wrench in our plans to hold our staff’s annual

cookbook potluck, our devoted booksellers nevertheless took these

books home for a spin in their kitchens and are sharing the delicious

results. Looking for even more great new cookbooks? See our staff

recommendations on page 34.

HOME COOKING

Greenfeast: Autumn, Winter by Nigel Slater,

TEN SPEED PRESS

Cook with Me: 150 Recipes for the Home Cook by Alex Guarnachelli,

CLARKSON POTTER

The Full Plate by Ayesha Curry,

VORACIOUS

Comforting, accessible home cooking is deﬁnitely on the menu these

days, and we found several new books to freshen our repertoire.

Greenfeast: Autumn, Winter is just the right

book to turn to when you want to cook

something warm and comforting on a cool

day. Nigel Slater’s vegetarian recipes are

quick and easy, and his writing is lovely. I

made the Tahini, Sesame, Butternut Soup

and my family loved it, but the Leek, Tomato,

Pecorino Crumble really stole the show. If

you’ve never cooked from his books, I

encourage you to do so—and to mark your

calendar for March, when Greenfeast: Spring, Summer will be released!

Jax is new to the cooking world and is just

ﬁnding her groove in the kitchen. She ﬁnds

recipes much easier to follow when they

are connected to a memory or story or

when the voice of the author feels warm

and encouraging, which was happily the

case with her potluck title, Cook with Me, by

Alex Guarnaschelli. While not necessarily

for someone brand new to the kitchen, this

book is deﬁnitely designed for the home

cook and Jax sees it as a great next step for anyone who has been

learning about cooking during shelter-in-place.

Jenny took home The Full Plate and found

Ayesha Curry’s approach to a stocked

pantry and simple but delicious cooking to

be right up her alley. She loved Curry’s

no-rules, fusion approach to ﬂavors and

seasonings and found the book packed

with go-to meals that are full of ﬂavor

without a lot of fuss. Whether you’re

cooking for adults, kids, families, or

gatherings (someday!), you can turn to

The Full Plate for always-tasty, never-boring recipes.

5

CALIFORNIA-ITALIAN

Chi Spacca: A New Approach to American Cooking

by Nancy Silverton,

KNOPF

The Barbuto Cookbook: California-Italian Cooking om the

Beloved West Village Restaurant by Jonathan Waxman,

ABRAMS

For the more ambitious home cook, we tried out new books by two

excellent chefs who have deﬁned their culinary careers in California

while being heavily inﬂuenced by Italy.

Like its namesake restaurant in Los

Angeles, Chi Spacca, by award-winning

chef Nancy Silverton, is decidedly

meat-centric, but the surprise of this book is

that it has plenty of gorgeous salads and

vegetable dishes as well. We loved Little

Gems with Herb Breadcrumbs, Bacon

Vinaigrette, and Grated Egg just as much

as the Coffee- Rubbed Tri-Tip. Whether you

are an experienced cook who wants to “learn the secrets of cooking

like an Italian butcher,” or simply want to enjoy the recipes of an

exemplary chef, this is an outstanding collection.

I was delighted to ﬁnd The Barbuto

Cookbook packed with simple, delicious,

appealing recipes that I couldn’t wait to try

and my family couldn’t wait to eat. From his

famous roast chicken to gnocchi to

desserts, Jonathan Waxman shares the

rustic Italian, modern California dishes that

made his restaurant so beloved. While

probably not for the beginner cook, many of

the recipes are surprisingly easy to make,

and any extra effort for these is well worth it.

SOMETHING SWEET

A Good Bake: The Art and Science of Making Perfect Pastries, Cakes,

Cookies, Pies, and Breads at Home by Melissa Weller

KNOPF • NOVEMBER 17TH

Jae says A Good Bake is perfect for anyone

who has dived headﬁrst into baking during

the shutdown. With its straightforward

tutorials on making the croissants, tarts,

and pie crusts of your dreams, this beautiful

book includes step-by-step photographs

and carefully detailed recipes. Melissa

Weller is one of the most acclaimed bakers

in the country and her book is one you will

use for years to come.

COOKBOOK POTLUCK by Stefanie Berntson

Stefanie Berntson has had the pleasure of being the cookbook buyer

at Bookshop Santa Cruz for over 25 years.

•••••••

6

7

Enter Our 18th Annual

Short Story Contest

Bookshop Santa Cruz is looking for original ﬁction

of no more than 1,200 words. We are not looking for

any particular theme or style—just some great writing.

This is our chance to help showcase local talent!

FIRST PRIZE:

Readers (with a circulation of 12,000) and on our

website: www.bookshopsantacruz.com

SECOND PRIZE:

THIRD PRIZE:

Tell Us a Story

The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2021. Entries must be previously unpublished and may be dropped off, mailed in, or submitted

online at bookshopsantacruz.com/short-story-contest. There is a $6 entry fee per story. For complete contest rules, pick up an entry form at our

information desk or download one from our website. All stories must include a completed entry form. Judges will read the stories blind, without

author names. Winning entries will be announced on March 30, 2021. The ﬁrst-prize winner will be published in our summer 2021 newsletter.

8

9

STAFF PROFILE

Melinda Powers

Here’s the thing about me and reading: I have been every kind of

reader in the course of my life, the voracious one, the studious one,

the intellectual one, the shameful one, the one who would read by

ﬂashlight under blankets long into the night, the one who would

throw scary books

across the room, the

one who would sneak

her mother’s romance

novels, the one who

now buys her own, the

one who has every

book in a neverending

series, the one who

collects ﬁrst editions of

stunning debuts,

buying two copies to

preserve one. I am the

reader who pored over

school book fair ﬂiers,

who found teen

comfort in the

anonymity of mall

bookstores, and who is now a strong advocate for indie bookstores.

I am the reader who didn’t read all the classics but who found a love

of literature all the same. I am the reader who rereads with

reverence and the one who absorbs by proximity (you should see, or

try to see, my nightstand!), the one who makes book lists, the one

who forgets a plot, the one who can still feel how a book moved her,

the one who is left breathless. I am the reader who also listens to

books, who is learning to read digitally, who loves a beautiful book

cover and a deckled edge. I am the reader who never knew she was

interested in {ﬁll in the blank} until she found a book about said

subject (literally anything), and the one who scoops up everything

written by a beloved author or within a favorite subject. I am the

slow reader, the skimmer, the one who reads to be challenged, the

one searching for something astonishing, something new, the one

who reads for fun, allowing for pleasure in the already understood. I

am the reader who has been judged (probably rightfully so) and

tries not to judge now.

All of these readers make up the way I think about books: openly

and broadly. When deciding which books to stock at Bookshop, I try

to provide for and satiate all of these interests, all of these ways to

read, as best I can, for all who walk into the bookstore. My journey

as a reader has not ended and I still have much to learn, but I hope

the fullness I have felt in my life as a reader translates into a

welcoming selection of books at Bookshop Santa Cruz.

Melinda Powers is the head book buyer at Bookshop Santa Cruz and the

president of the California Independent Booksellers Alliance. As you may have

surmised om her book recommendations and antics at Bookshop, she loves her

family, her iends, her community, goats, and all the books, so many books.

10

VIRTUAL BOOKSHOP EVENTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH, AT 7:00

BOOKSELLER HAPPY HOUR: COOKBOOKS + COCKTAILS

Grab a beverage and join us from the comfort of home as we preview some of this season’s great new culinary and

cocktail titles. We are passionate about cookbooks and can’t wait to share our new favorites with you!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH, AT 6:00

EDDIE R. COLE, The Campus Color Line

Eddie R. Cole, PhD, will discuss his new book, The Campus Color Line: College Presidents and the Struggle for Black Freedom,

the remarkable history of how college presidents have shaped the struggle for racial equality. “A stunning and ambitious

origins story.” —Ibram X. Kendi

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, AT 4:00

SHERRI DUSKEY RINKER & AG FORD, Construction Site Mission: Demolition!

Everyone‘s favorite construction crew is back in this brand-new addition to the Goodnight, Goodnight series. Kids will be delighted

to hear the author read her story and to meet the illustrator of this awesome book, where the crew CRASH-BANG-BOOMS

through the demolition process! .

MONDAY, OCTOBER 26TH, AT 7:00

KIM STANLEY ROBINSON, The Ministry for the Future

Bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson will share his new novel—a remarkable vision of climate change over the coming

decades. "A sweeping, optimistic portrait of humanity's ability to cooperate in the face of disaster. This heartfelt work of hard

science-ﬁction is a must-read for anyone worried about the future of the planet." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

 T UESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD: REMEMBER TO VOTE! 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH, AT 7:00 and MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH, AT 7:00

BOOKSELLER HAPPY HOURS: GIFT PICKS and BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

Make gift giving easy! Join our booksellers on November 9th for a virtual happy hour as they share terriﬁc books that make great gifts for everyone on your

list. Then come back on November 16th to ﬁnd out which books made the cut (and made their mark) on us when we reveal our best books of the year.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, AT 7:00

DEBORAH MADISON, An Onion in My Pocket: My Life in Vegetables

Beloved cookbook author Deborah Madison will read and discuss her warm, bracingly honest new memoir that gives us an

insider's look at the vegetarian movement. See our staff review of An Onion in My Pocket on page 34.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH—SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

Shop small and help your community prosper! Join us in the store and online on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Readers’ Club members who spend

$25 or more can enter our rafﬂe to win 10 of our favorite books of the year.

Special ticketed event: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6TH, AT 11:00 AM

ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH, How to Raise an Elephant: No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

Bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith will share the next book in his perennially adored No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

series, which sees Precious Ramotswe calling upon all her maternal instincts when she's faced with a two-ton case. Purchase

tickets for this event via our website: bookshopsantacruz.com/alexander-mccall-smith. Please note the morning start time, as

the author will be joining us from Scotland! Click here for ticket information.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6TH, AT 7:00—WINTER READING PROGRAM MIXER

Whether you are looking for your next read or are just starting our Winter Reading Program, join our booksellers for a lively

discussion about each of the awesome titles in the program. Read three of the eight recommended books by February 28th and earn rewards from

Bookshop, Birichino Winery, and Paciﬁc Cookie Company!

BOOKSHOP'S VIRTUAL EVENTS

11

Online events are ee, unless otherwise noted. Register on Crowdcast here. See our full schedule here.

Cosponsored by NAACP

Santa Cruz County Branch

Cosponsored by The Humanities

Institute UC Santa Cruz

EARTH ELEMENTS INCENSE

$5.95

Zen Aromas incense sticks are the perfect hostess

gift or little something special for friends or

yourself. Thirty-stick packs, complete with holder,

come in a variety of fragrances, including jasmine

and marigold, vanilla ﬁg and honeycomb, and

sandalwood and iris.

CITIZEN RUTH MUGS

$17.95

We are all about these mugs from Citizen

Ruth, the ethics-forward company based

in Portland. Featuring Colin Kaepernick,

Marsha P., Dr. Fauci, John Lewis, and

more, they are the perfect gift for the activist in

your life—plus a portion of sales beneﬁt groups

supporting gay rights, Black lives, social justice, and SCIENCE.

ICONIC HEROES MUGS

Gis & Games

EEBOO CARDS

$13.95, Ages 3+

These award-winning conversation

cards, designed by Eeboo (a woman-

owned, mother-run, sustainably

sourced company) to help tiny

humans make sense of this

complicated world. Featuring 50-card

decks that include What’s Going On

Here, Good Citizenship, I Heard Your Feelings, and Respect the Earth.

CONVERSATION CARDS

OOLY ART KITS

$13.95–$32.95

From Happy Packs to Erasable Coloring

Sets, these kits by Ooly are guaranteed to

make young artists happy. High-quality

supplies (pencils, adorable erasers, and

more) are perfectly packaged and come

in a variety of themes, including Unicorn

and Astronaut.

ART KITS

ZEN INCENSE

WHITE MOUNTAIN PUZZLES

$19.95

Are we still doing puzzles? Yes, of

course we are! Bookshop carries a

huge assortment of White Mountain

Puzzles, whose literary-themed

jigsaws are among the ones we love

most. Can you ﬁnd your favorite bestseller among the 1000 pieces?

LITERARY PUZZLES

WILD & WOLF STRAW

$12.95

This stainless steel, reusable straw is adjustable

and comes in its own travel-friendly carrying case

with carabiner clip, making it easy to take along

when camping, hiking, or just running around town.

Perfect for the environmentalist or anyone who

hates paper straws.

REUSABLE STRAW

DISH TOWELS, OVEN MITTS & APRONS

$11.95–$34.95

What better time to use humor as a

coping mechanism than right now?

Blue Q goes there with their sassy and

hilarious dish towels, aprons, and

oven mitts, with designs like My Safe

Word Is Takeout; Go Away; and I’ll

Bake Love to You.

KITCHEN FUN

CONNECTION &

GRATITUDE KITS • $29.95 each

For many, this challenging time has

made clear what matters most in life—

meaningful connection and gratitude

for what we have. A Year of Connection

and A Year of Gratitude kits include 52

notecards each, plus a guided journal.

They can help make sure we don’t lose focus in the year to come.

A YEAR OF APPRECIATION

No matter who you’re shopping for this

holiday season, we have great gi ideas!

Here are some of our favorites.

12

AQUARIUS

$15.00, Ages 5+

Looking for a game with a groovy hippie

theme? Here it is! The best part about Aquarius

is the fun and colorful art. The cards are like

dominoes, each showing between one and four

elements. The game play is simple: Match

elements and try to chain seven of your

elements in a row. The new version has awesome graphics that are

vivid and engaging.

DIXIT

$34.99, Ages 8+

Dixit is a quick and easy game to learn that

is great for players of all ages, including

younger ones. It tests your creativity and

ability to story-tell and to be both

convincing and questionable. The

gameplay is simple but involves strategy, variety, and creativity. You

need to be able to be clear enough for players to guess your cards

but not so clear that your play is obvious to everyone. It’sfun to play

in different groups because you’re guaranteed an entirely new tale

each time. Being creative can teach you about the people you play

with and see how they think differently than you.

CLUE:

BOB'S BURGERS EDITION

$51.95, Ages 8+

Satisfy your craving for mystery

with Clue: Bob's Burgers. This

classic Clue mystery game is

illustrated by the show creators

themselves! Gather a few friends

and attempt to ﬁgure out who killed Ned Boddy at Linda Belcher’s

dinner party, which weapon they left at the scene of the crime, and

which room in the Belcher apartment they did it in. Includes six

custom metal “weapon” tokens (Burger Phone, Spatula, Horcelain,

Wine Bottle, Kuchi Kopi, and Gene’s Keyboard), 21 rumor cards, and

a custom scoring pad.

BEETLEJUICE PUZZLE

$ 19.95, Ages 14+

Are you last in line in the Netherworld waiting

room? To help kill some time, how about a

puzzle from the classic ﬁlm Beetlejuice? It

features Lydia and the ghost with the most

(and his gravestone!) in their wedding outﬁts.

This strange, unusual 1000-piece jigsaw will

keep you busy, whether with others or utterly alone.

GAMES & PUZZLES

13

SHOP GIFTS, GAMES & PUZZLES

IN THE STORE AND ONLINE AT

BOOKSHOPSANTACRUZ.COM

UCSC Love Mug $17.95

This awesome tin mug is

deﬁnitely camping-worthy!

Zen Slug Tee $22.99

Seek calm and contentment

in this soft and comfortable

t-shirt featuring a meditating

banana slug.

Plush Slug $7.95–$25.95

Our super sweet Sammy the Slug plushies come in all

sizes—from tiny keychains to the irresistible big guy.

Fiat Slug Hoodie

Sweatshirt $47.95

This stylish and soft

hoodie (available in

grey or navy) will keep

you feeling cozy on your

winter walks.

Give some slug love

this holiday season!

Slug Shop

at Bookshop

Plus stocking stuﬀers: Slug ornaments, keychains,

buttons, socks, ﬁnger slugs, and more!

14

All the Devils Are Here:

A Novel

by Louise Penny

$28.99

Squeeze Me:

A Novel

by Carl Hiaasen

$28.95

The Sentinel:

A Novel

by Lee Child, with Andrew Child

$28.99 • OCT. 27TH

The Book of Two Ways:

A Novel

by Jodi Picoult

$28.99

Missionaries:

A Novel

by Phil Klay

$28.00

Ready Player Two:

A Novel

by Ernest Cline

$28.99 • NOV. 24TH

How to Fly

(In Ten Thousand

Easy Lessons)

by Barbara Kingsolver

$24.99

How to Carry Water:

Selected Poems

by Lucille Clifton

$28.00

Ex Libris: 100+ Books

to Read and Reread

by Michiko Kakutani

$25.00 • OCT. 20TH

The Neil Gaiman Reader

Selected Fiction

by Neil Gaiman

$40.00 • OCT. 20TH

The Best of Me

Stories & Essays

by David Sedaris

$30.00 • NOV. 3RD

The Once and Future Witches:

A Novel

by Alix E. Harrow

$28.00

15

popular BOOKS TO GIVE

this holiday season

HOLIDAY GUIDE

popular gifts

Stephen Hawking

by Leonard Mlodinow

$25.00

The Fragile Earth

Writing from The New Yorker

on Climate Change

$29.99

The Radiant Lives

of Animals

by Linda Hogan

$19.95 • OCT. 13TH

Our Only Home

A Climate Appeal to the World

by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

$19.99 • NOV. 17TH

The Visual Encyclopedia

by DK & Smithsonian

$50.00 • OCT. 27TH

Abe: Abraham Lincoln

in His Times

by David S. Reynolds

$45.00

Me and Sister Bobbie:

True Tales of the Family Band

by Willie Nelson & Bobbie Nelson

$28.00

The Gifts of Imperfection

10th Anniversary Edition

by Brené Brown

$25.00

Badass Habits: Cultivate the

Awareness, Boundaries and Daily

Upgrades You Need to Make

Them Stick by Jen Sincero

$26.00 • DEC. 1ST

Stuff You Should Know

by Josh Clark &

Chuck Bryant

$27.99 • NOV. 24TH

Mediocre: The Dangerous

Legacy of White Male

America by Ijeoma Oluo

$28.00 • DEC. 1ST

Greenlights

by Matthew McConaughey

$30.00 • OCT. 20TH

16

HOLIDAY GUIDE

popular KIDS gifts

The Deep End: Diary of

a Wimpy Kid, Book 15

by Jeff Kinney

$14.99 • OCT. 27TH

Ocean! Our Watery World

as You’ve Never Seen It Before

by DK Publishing

$24.99

The LEGO Games Book:

50 Fun Brainteasers, Games,

Challenges, and Puzzles!

$19.99

Happy Narwhalidays:

A Narwhal & Jelly Book

by Ben Clanton

$12.99

An Elephant & Piggie

Biggie! Volume 3

by Mo Willems

$16.99

Star Wars: Smuggler’s Starship

Activity Book and Model

by Insight Editions

$11.99

Life-Size Animals:

An Illustrated Safari

by Rita Mabel Schavo

$19.99 • NOV. 3RD

Soﬁa Valdez and

the Vanishing Vote

by Andrea Beaty

$12.99

Keeper of the Lost Cities

Unlocked, Book 8.5

by Shannon Messenger

$21.99 • NOV. 17TH

The Trials of Apollo: Book 5

The Tower of Nero

by Rick Riordan

$19.99

Wings of Fire:

The Winglets Quartet

by Tui T. Sutherland

$6.99

Good Night Stories for

Rebel Girls: The Chapter

Book Collection

$49.99

17

18

Homeland Elegies

by Ayad Akhtar

LITTLE, BROWN & COMPANY

Homeland Elegies deﬁes genres.

Calling it a novel implies it’s not true,

but I’ve never read anything more

brutally honest, relevant, or

personal. Akhtar’s book reads like an

opera with recurring choruses, haunting variations on

a theme, dramatic tension, characters that are larger

than life, sex scenes, death scenes, and cliff hangers.

This is an elegy, a poem of serious reﬂection, a lament,

about home. — Jenny

Bestiary

by K-Ming Chang

• ONE WORLD

Chang’s debut novel is delicious to

read, equally beautiful and

grotesque, harrowing and tender.

Told across three generations of

Taiwanese American women,

Bestiary is intimately recognizable

and audaciously new: an immigrant journey, a love

story, a family saga, a coming-of-age tale. — Melinda

Anxious People

by Fredrik Backman

• ATRIA BOOKS

Backman, through his humor,

emotion, and honesty, reminds us

that it is precisely the messiness of

being human that makes us more

connected to each other than we

ever think possible. In Anxious

People, he introduces us to a group of characters who

happen to be in the wrong place (hostage situation)

at the wrong time (apartment viewing) but whose

willingness to listen and connect to each other turn

everything right. — Casey

Transcendent Kingdom

by Yaa Gyasi

• KNOPF

Raised in poverty in Alabama and

the daughter of Ghanaian

immigrants, Gifty projects the

image of an American success story.

But when her depressed, elderly

mother comes to stay with her,

painful memories begin to resurface

and cracks start to emerge in her stoic facade. Flitting

between past and present, Gyasi (Homegoing) tackles

some very heavy themes; death, abandonment,

racism, and the opioid crisis all come into play.

Beautiful and heart wrenching, Gyasi’s sophomore

novel does not disappoint. — Jade

STAFF RECOMMENDED NEW FICTION

19

Jack

by Marilynne Robinson

FARRAR, STRAUS & GIROUX

Barack Obama’s favorite novelist

graces us all once again, this time

with Jack, which delves back into the

inner lives of the characters

Robinson introduced many years

ago with Gilead. Prepare yourself for the tender, stolid

prose that characterizes Robinson’s best

work—impossibly elegant in its simplicity. — Jess

WINTER READING & GIFT GIVING

The Last Great Road Bum

by Héctor Tobar

• MCD

Though billed as a novel, this

book is essentially the true

story of a world traveler,

vagabond, writer, and guerilla

ﬁghter in El Salvador’s bloody

civil war named Joe Sanderson.

In writing this story of an American from the

Midwest, Tobar, the son of Guatemalan

immigrants, has created a book that is both a

big, old-fashioned novel of adventure,

personality, and daring-do, and a meditation on

narrative authority. — Rico

The End of the Day

by Bill Clegg

• SCOUT PRESS

The End of the Day follows a wealthy

East Coast family, the families who

served them, and those who lived in

their universe. How these worlds

collide, and the secrets and longings

trapped within them, provide a mysterious,

multifaceted and deeply emotional book that will

make you want to start again as soon as you get to

the last page. — Casey

The Exiles

by Christina Baker Kline

• CUSTOM HOUSE

A compelling narrative of strength

in the face of abusive hardship and

tragedy, The Exiles is a riveting book,

hard to put down once started.

Well-researched, well-written,

excellent historical ﬁction. — Trey

His Only Wife

by Peace Adzo Medie

• ALGONQUIN BOOKS

Aﬁ is a young seamstress in a small

town who is whisked away to the big

city of Accra, Ghana, in an

arranged marriage to a wealthy

developer. But everything is not

peaceful in her brand-new luxury

condo. At times triumphant and at other times

frustrating, this book is about the complications of

family expectations, love, and ﬁdelity. — Celeste

NEW & RECOMMENDED FICTION

20

A World Between

by Emily Hashimoto

FEMINIST PRESS

PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

A charming two-person narrative

spanning many years provides us

with a story chronicling the often

complex structures of women's

relationships. Growing up is never easy, and change

is inevitable. But sometimes, no matter how much

changes, there’s someone with whom you will always

feel comfortable. — MJ

Girls Against God

by Jenny Hval

VERSO FICTION

• PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

Set in 1990s Norway and written by

a Norwegian avant-garde musician,

this experimental stream-of-

consciousness novel is simply an

incomparable experience and no

short summaries can do it justice. — Ksenia

Ramiﬁcations

by Daniel Saldaña Paris

COFFEE HOUSE PRESS

• PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

Twenty years after his mother’s

disappearance, a man broods over

the many catastrophes of his life,

attempting to ﬁll a cavernous void.

Strange and inviting, with strong

wit, tender curiosity, and a few dark twists,

Ramiﬁcations is a novel of self-reﬂection and the

process of healing. — Juj

Where the Wild Ladies Are

by Aoko Matsuda

SOFT SKULL PRESS

PAPERBACK ORIGINAL • OCTOBER 20TH

Life afﬁrming and whimsical, these

stories invite the reader into a world

where becoming a ghost is but a

beginning: of freedom from gender

roles; of a fulﬁlling career; and of a death-time of

happiness. Loved it! — Ksenia

Memorial

by Bryan Washington

RIVERHEAD BOOKS • OCTOBER 27TH

This is the debut novel by a

rising literary star, the author

of last year’s breakout short

story collection, Lot. Fans of

There There and On Earth We’re

Brieﬂy Gorgeous will devour this meditation on

love and loss. — Jason

The Lying Life of Adults

by Elena Ferrante

EUROPA EDITIONS

This novel combines Ferrante’s

trademark touches—an indelible

cast of characters and a stingingly

honest coming-of- age story—with a

complex narrative about what

composes the truth. Be transported once again in one

of this fall’s biggest books. — Casey

What Are You Going Through

by Sigrid Nunez •

RIVERHEAD BOOKS

Honest and wise, with a wicked sense

of humor, Nunez writes prose that

uses few words to create deeply

layered characters, settings, and

moments. Her new novel tackles big

issues—death, the meaning of life,

and contemporary politics, among others, and

promises the same rich reading experience I’ve come to

expect from her. — Rico

21

The Daughters

of Ys

Written by M.T. Anderson

Illustrated by Jo Rioux

•

FIRST SECOND

Rioux’s dreamy illustrations have,

like M.T. Anderson’s story, a

deceptive simplicity that pull you

deeper into the complex currents of

duty and desire, love and loyalty, loss and

responsibility, and family and nation, amidst a tale of

dark magics and miracles. — Jocelyn

The Essential Dykes to

Watch Out For

by Alison Bechdel

MARINER BOOKS • NOW IN PAPERBACK

Bechdel’s seminal work is an

absolute treat, and as relevant

and relatable as ever. If you’re a

fan of DTWOF or are perhaps looking for a supportive

and afﬁrming group of queers, you need this collection

in your life. — Jax

The Contradictions

by Sophie Yanow •

DRAWN & QUARTERLY

With Yanow’s expert eye and bold

art style, The Contradictions

explores the world of the college

student trying to ﬁnd themself and

ﬁnding that their failures end up

being the most meaningful part of

their journey. Yanow has managed to tap into the

psyche of youth and come out with some profound

insights into the human condition. — Ivy

Welcome to the New World

Written by Jake Halpern

Illustrated by Michael Sloan

METROPOLITAN BOOKS

In Welcome to the New World, I felt

the poignancies, laughter, and

desperate desire for home on

every page. A fascinating look at

modern immigrant life that is both heartbreaking and

uplifting. — Jax

FICTION GRAPHIC

You Had Me at Hola

by Alexis Daria

• AVON

This modern-day Latinx rom-com is

so fun, smart, and sexy! Jasmine

and Ashton’s tension and ambition

play out in the world of television

acting and production. This story is

as much about community and

family as it is about romance. — Jocelyn

#CassiNova

by Lori G. Matthew

BELLA BOOKS • NOVEMBER 17TH

I spent many years so hungry for

representation that I’d read

anything you threw at me, but I’m

happy to say this book set the bar

so much higher for me. The

romance in #Cassinova felt real, and I never doubted

the motives behind Sam and Alex’s actions. A ﬂirty,

fun romp through Hollywood. — MJ

ROMANCE

Winter Counts

by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

• ECCO

Virgil Wounded Horse, with rage in

his heart and a teenager at home,

metes out brutal justice for crimes

the broken system won’t touch. This

is an engrossing mystery and thriller

and a look into the modern-day

Sicangu Lakota that is especially vivid for those not of

the Nation. — Jocelyn

One by One

by Ruth Ware

• SCOUT PRESS

A company retreat goes horribly

awry when an avalanche traps the

vacationers in their chalet. Cut off

from the rest of the world, their

predicament quickly worsens as

people start to turn up murdered.

Ware’s engaging writing and clever plot twists had

me on the edge of my seat. — Jade

The Kingdom

by Jo Nesbø

• DOUBLEDAY

Nesbø‘s reputation as the master of

Norwegian crime is upheld in this

standalone novel about the reunion

of two brothers. Despite their

determination to create a promising

future for themselves and their town,

the brothers’ ﬂaws and murky past render their dreams

all but impossible. The tension is palpable, with secrets

and lies in this tale that is both clever and dark. — K.L.

Drive Your Plow Over the

Bones of the Dead

by Olga Tokarczuk

RIVERHEAD BOOKS • NOW IN PAPERBACK

This dark, country-noir eco-thriller,

set in a village on the border between

Poland and Czech Republic, is

gorgeous, haunting, and unput-

downable. Could the deaths of local hunters be caused

by animals keen to enact revenge on those who abuse

and murder them? Highly recommended for fans of

quieter, stranger mysteries. — Ksenia

MYSTERY & TRUE CRIME

22

The Searcher

by Tana French

• VIKING

A slow-burning, tense,

character-driven thriller from one of

the most brilliant writers of our time.

Retired cop Cal, who immigrated

from Chicago to look for peace,

ﬁnds trouble knocking on the door of his dilapidated

cottage. A must-read for lovers of literary mysteries

and small-town secrets. — Ksenia

When No One Is Watching

by Alyssa Cole

WILLLIAM MORROW PAPERBACKS

Alyssa Cole’s debut mystery, set in a

brownstone-lined Brooklyn

neighborhood, is a genuinely

bone-chilling thriller with real,

relatable characters facing an

almost unbelievable conspiracy whose dangers are

all too real. — Jocelyn

We Keep the Dead Close

by Becky Cooper

GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING • NOV. 10TH

After happening upon the unsolved

murder of Harvard graduate

student Jane Brittan 50 years prior,

Cooper dedicated the next decade

of her life to ﬁnding Britton’s killer.

Extraordinarily well researched and thoughtfully told,

this book has all the thrill and suspense that

characterize true crime while managing to steer clear

of sensationalism and insensitivity. — Jade

Devil in a Blue Dress:

30th Anniversary Edition

by Walter Mosley

WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS

This smoke-ﬁlled, bourbon-soaked,

jazz-fueled and intensely atmospheric

trek through the Harlem of the West

Coast, featuring laid-off worker

turned detective Easy Rawlins, expanded the idea of

what LA noir could mean. It is still one of the best

detective novels I’ve read. — Dave

Phoenix Extravagant

by Yoon Ha Lee

SOLARIS • OCTOBER 20TH

Automata and fox spirits roam the

streets while subjugated people

ﬁght for their freedom, and dragons

turn out to be far less monstrous to

face than is contending with

humanity’s greed. I particularly admire Lee’s ability to

navigate the nonbinary gender of his protagonist with

a light touch. I haven’t devoured something like this

since Uprooted. — Jax

A Deadly Education

by Naomi Novik

• DEL REY

If you like characters defying their

tropes, intriguing magic systems,

deadly libraries, stories of friendship

and staying true to yourself—amidst

magical monsters and

backstabbing high school

cliques—but with just a little more snark and murder,

pick this up. I loved this book. — Jocelyn

Black Sun

by Rebecca Roanhorse

• SAGA PRESS

An atmospheric, dark fantasy

surrounding new and ancient

religions and the intersection of

science and faith, told from multiple

perspectives. Fans of Rebecca

Roanhorse, rejoice with me! One of

my favorite books, period. — MJ

Hench: A Novel

by Natalie Zina Walschots

WILLIAM MORROW

A wild and creative twist on the

superhero trope. Who inﬂicts more

damage on society, superheroes or

the supervillains they ﬁght? This is

a fun, cinematic novel set in a

comic book universe, unlike anything else you've ever

read. — Trey

SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

23

Master of Poisons

by Andrea Hairston

• TOR.COM

The deliciously intricate prose of

Master of Poisons will swirl around

you like a swarm of bees, minutely

detailed but still moving as one,

pulling you into a world of magical

young girls, pirate wives, and

complicated families. Perfect for fans of Marlon

James’s Black Leopard, Red Wolf. — Jae

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

by V.E. Schwab

• TOR BOOKS

Schwab’s latest novel is utterly

magical. Immersive and

transportive, The Invisible Life of

Addie LaRue makes you think about

what price you would pay to keep

what you want, and what deals with

devils are worth making. — Jax

The Future of Another Timeline

by Annalee Newitz

TOR BOOKS • NOW IN PAPERBACK

In this cyber-feminist, totally punk,

time-travelling tale, Newitz uses her

quick-paced storyline and

captivating characters to introduce

us to a world that could be ours. The

Future of Another Timeline wil make you lucidly see

your own role in revolution. — Citlalli

Ring Shout

by P. Djèlí Clark

• TOR.COM

White supremacists are monsters.

No really, watch out! Only some

people can see them, and they have

formed a motley group of Black

resistance ﬁghters, including our

heroine, who is armed with a sword

embodied by spirits of her ancestors. This book is a

mixing pot of Deep South folk tales and fantasy set in

the post–WWI Jim Crow South. — Celeste

The Selected Works of Audre Lorde

Edited by Roxane Gay

W.W. NORTON & COMPANY

This stellar collection showcases the

breadth of Lorde’s poems and prose

as she speaks to motherhood, race,

patriarchy, white feminism, and the

ﬁght for justice. For those new to her

work, this is a great introduction, and for those of us

who are already admirers, it is an essential addition to

our shelves. — S.B.

Whale Day: And Other Poems

by Billy Collins

• RANDOM HOUSE

Collins’s newest gathering of poems

shines with its combination of mirth

and depth. There is an undercurrent

of looking at life from the eyes of

someone who is aging and holding

mortality in view. I was delighted by

the humor and wit that Collins juxtaposes with the

tender and profound. — S.M.C.

Guillotine: Poems

by Eduardo C. Corral

GRAYWOLF PRESS

Guillotine is a mystifying journey

between worlds both real and

imaginary, where sensation is severe

and reason becomes blurred. This

collection of poems is an essential

addition to the developing queer-Latinx imaginary.

— Juj

Dearly: New Poems

by Margaret Atwood

ECCO • NOVEMBER 10TH

Atwood’s new collection of poetry,

Dearly, encompasses the grief,

beauty, and pain of the recent loss

of her partner of more than 40

years, with all the wit and skill that

she possesses. Who can strike your heart with more

efﬁciency than Margaret Atwood? — Jess

POETRY

24

Resistencia

Edited by Mark Eisner & Tina Escaja,

Introduction by Julia Alvarez

TIN HOUSE BOOKS

This collection ampliﬁes and

revitalizes the Latin American

tradition of protest poetry and

reminds us that the ﬁght for justice is

ongoing and motivated by our own creative and

collective power. — Juj

Finna: Poems

by Nate Marshall

• ONE WORLD

With lyrical precision, sweet slang,

and cunning rhythm, Marshall

acknowledges the violence imposed

on Black and Brown bodies; the

cultural elements that promote

spiritual fortitude; and the opportunity to embrace

the future as a space of beautiful possibility. These

poems demand mourning, deep reckoning, and

wonderful celebration. Read them. — Juj

When the Light of the World

Was Subdued, Our Songs Came

Through

Edited by Jo Harjo

W.W. NORTON & COMPANY

Organized by the geographic

location of the poets’ Nations, this

wide-ranging anthology of poems

and essays guides you as the reader

on a tour of American literature that may lead you to

your next favorite poet. — Jocelyn

Every Day We Get More Illegal

by Juan Felipe Herrera

CITY LIGHTS BOOKS

As the recent US poet laureate,

Juan Felipe Herrera traveled the

country, listening and engaging

with its communities, particularly

those marginalized and endangered. His newest

collection of poems, some written while on the road,

captures what he found, who he met, what is felt.

— Melinda

Just Us: An American

Conversation

by Claudia Rankine

• GRAYWOLF PRESS

Curious and unerring, Just Us is a

work of art that delves into a

thoughtful, personal, and profound

exploration of whiteness. Elevated to

high form in essay, poetry, and visual

playfulness, yet easily relatable, it truly is an American

Conversation, one that Rankine breaks wide open.

— Melinda

The Book Collectors

by Delphine Minoui

FARRAR, STRAUS & GIROUX

Set among the rubble, daily

bombings, and brutal lockdown

measures in the Syrian rebel

stronghold of Daraya, The Book

Collectors offers a heartbreaking

and poignant look at the power of books in shaping

and maintaining community, even in the direst of

circumstances. — Travis

Garner’s Quotations

by Dwight Garner

FARRAR, STRAUS & GIROUX • NOV. 10TH

If you enjoy the wit, pleasure, and

bite you ﬁnd in Dwight Garner’s

New York Times book reviews,

you’ll delight in his commonplace

book, but be forewarned, it’s

anything but common, thank goodness! — Melinda

Magic: A History

by Chris Gosden

FARRAR, STRAUS & GIROUX • NOV. 10TH

Drawing on many examples of its

cultural signiﬁcance, Gosden shows

just how big a role magic has played

in the development of societies all

over the world. Whether he is

talking about horoscopes or tattoos, his voice makes

a fun read for anyone, from history buffs to the casual

reader. — MJ

NONFICTION

25

Finding Latinx

by Paola Ramos

VINTAGE • OCTOBER 20TH

For those committed to human rights

and social change, this book is an

essential text in understanding both

the diverse experiences of the Latinx

population and the challenges we

face collectively as a nation. — Juj

Oak Flat: A Fight for Sacred

Land in the American West

by Lauren Redniss

RANDOM HOUSE • NOVEMBER 17TH

In this richly illustrated work of visual

nonﬁction, Redniss bears witness to

the years’-long ﬁght of San Carlos

Apache tribal members to protect

Oak Flat, their sacred land, from a multinational

mining conglomerate. Reporting, illuminating, and

understanding are Redniss’s true genius, unfolding a

powerful, complex story, one that is still in play.

— Melinda

Nose Dive

by Harold McGee

PENGUIN PRESS • OCTOBER 20TH

In this sensory-ﬁlled adventure,

McGee (On Food and Cooking)

combines hard science, biology,

chemistry, and personal observation

to take readers on an accessible ride

through the world of scent. A great read for fans of

Michael Pollan and Bill Bryson or anyone curious about

why things smell the way they do. — S.B.

Mad and Bad:

Real Heroines of the Regency

by Bea Koch

• GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING

PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

Koch uses the lens of romance to

focus on the entertaining

microhistory of the under-known

royalty, artists, mistresses, and scientists, who, white

and black, straight and queer—and more—shaped the

culture and history of the British Regency. — Jocelyn

Carry: A Memoir of Survival on

Stolen Land

by Toni Jensen •

BALLANTINE BOOKS

Jensen’s poetic memoir in pieces is a

beautiful exploration of her life as a

Métis woman, one who is tied deeply

to nature, affected by the men

around her, and critical of the gun

violence that prevails over all. Truly a gorgeous and

important read. — Melinda

Eat a Peach: A Memoir

by David Chang •

CLARKSON POTTER

David Chang dutifully documents a

legendary career that has left him an

undeniable culinary legend, and then

he uses his memoir to do his best to

tear down any remaining images of

himself as a luminary, god, or

pedasteled hero, writing instead a brutally honest

self-portrait of a real man in an unreal life. — Jocelyn

Golem Girl: A Memoir

by Riva Lehrer •

ONE WORLD

Lehrer’s frank, intimate, liberating

memoir spans her childhood spent

largely through a medical lens, her

early adult life as a student, creative,

and lover, and ﬁnally ﬁnding her

place as a renowned visual artist and

disability activist. Enhanced with full-color artwork and

personal photographs, this book is powerful and a joy

to discover. — Melinda

Conditional Citizens

by Laila Lalami •

PANTHEON

An excellent contribution to the vital

global conversation about race,

immigration, and the trajectory of this

country, Conditional Citizens brims

with the beautiful language and

insight we have come to expect from

Laila Lalami (The Other Americans)

. — Ivy

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

26

The Dead Are

Arising: The Life

of Malcolm X

by Les Payne •

LIVERIGHT

This monumental new book crafts an

expansive vision and remembering of

the man who brought us all a little

closer to freedom. Written with

immense care, detail, and dedication, The Dead Are

Arising is a necessary companion to the Autobiography

of Malcolm X for understanding Malcolm X and his

contribution to Black liberation. — Citlalli

The Power of Adrienne Rich

by Hilary Holladay •

NAN A. TALESE

Internationally acclaimed poet and

Santa Cruz resident Adrienne Rich

broke boundaries of identity,

representation, and activism in the

literary world for decades. Now

Hilary Holladay explores Rich’s life—including details

contributed by many Santa Cruz ﬁgures—and her

journey to becoming a queer activist who used poetry

to blaze new paths of feminism. — Casey

Once I Was You

by Maria Hinojosa •

ATRIA BOOKS

Pithy, powerful, and political, Once I

Was You had me hysterical: laughing,

crying, and furiously rereading. An

intimate exploration of the harrowing

realities and ingrained invisibility

faced by undocumented immigrants, it is a crucial

book for turbulent times. — Charlotte

Mad at the World: A Life of John

Steinbeck

by William Souder

W.W. NORTON & COMPANY

Pulitzer Prize–winning author William

Souder examines the years that John

Steinbeck cut his teeth as a young

writer and his evolution into a voice

for the poor and oppressed. Off the

page, Steinbeck was an alcoholic and womanizer, and

Souder gives equal time to his darker side. — Aric

His Truth Is Marching On:

John Lewis and the Power of Hope

by Jon Meacham

• RANDOM HOUSE

There are very few who deserve their

story to be told as much as the

freedom ﬁghter John Lewis. A great,

cursory examination of a truly great

human being. — Aric

The Quiet Americans

by Scott Anderson

• DOUBLEDAY

Anderson focuses on four of the

CIA's best spies, each more

accomplished and daring than the

next. Their stories illustrate the ways

we gave up our democratic ideals in

the name of ﬁghting communism, as

we overthrew democratically elected governments and

supported brutal regimes. When the smoke ﬁnally

cleared, we had earned scorn both here and abroad,

caused Americans to distrust their own government,

and locked ourselves into the Cold War for decades to

come. — Rico

Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction.

by Arundhati Roy

• HAYMARKET BOOKS

Through this collection of essays,

Roy interrogates, illuminates, and

inspires worlds to come—

deliberately dissecting our world’s

underbelly, Roy leaves nearly

nothing untouched and everything

expanding. Azadi, meaning freedom in Urdu, feels a

little closer after reading this book. — Citlalli

Agent Sonya

by Ben Macintyre

• CROWN

Macintyre draws from a wealth of

declassiﬁed reports, memoirs, and

interviews to paint a vivid portrait of

Ursula Burton, née Kuczynski,

daughter of a German Jewish

bourgeois family, mother of three,

life-long champion of communism, and USSR spy

“Sonya.” A fascinating read for any historian.

— Jocelyn

HISTORY & POLITICS

27

If Then

by Jill Lepore

• LIVERIGHT

This is sort of a history of late-stage

20th-century America, seen

through the lens of the Simulmatics

Corporation. Their forays into

big-data human manipulation

during the Kennedy election and

Vietnam War would later metastasize into Facebook,

Google, and the coinfections of Fancy Bear and

Cambridge Analytics. — Dave

Stakes Is High

by Mychal Denzel Smith

• BOLD TYPE BOOKS

Focusing on Black lives in history and

the institutional oppression and

racism that are such a part of

America’s mythical promises and of

Trump and the current political

climate, Smith helps us see where

change is possible. An important read. — S.M.C.

Let’s Talk About Your Wall

Edited by Carmen Boullosa & Alberto

Quintero

THE NEW PRESS • OCT. 27TH

Using Trump’s wall as a launching

pad, Boullosa and Quintero provide

a platform for more than 20 Latinx

writers, creating an important

resource of diverse voices,

experiences, and reports from the other side of the

Southern border. — Melinda

How We Go Home: Voices from

Indigenous North America

Edited by Sara Sinclair

• HAYMARKET

Sinclair has accumulated

remarkable stories from indigenous

people across the continent—at

Standing Rock, at Yale, and beyond.

The individuals featured in this book

have accomplished much despite the institutional

racism, neglect, and poverty doled out to them by the

powers that be. I came out of this book enraged and

inspired. — Jade

Love and Rage: The Path of

Liberation Through Anger

by Lama Rod Owens

NORTH ATLANTIC BOOKS

In this profound and helpful book, a

queer Black Buddhist teacher

wrestles with his own rage. He

teaches us how spiritual practice

and vigilant activism can be interwoven. This is the

book on social justice and mindfulness we have been

waiting for. — Jason

The Blessing & the Curse

by Adam Kirsch

W.W. NORTON & COMPANY

Adam Kirsch surveys themes of

alienation in the Old World,

assimilation in America, and newfound

nationhood in Israel, bringing to light,

or profoundly illuminating, some of the

great works of Jewish literature. His fascinating and

enjoyably readable prose made me want to read, or

reread, almost every one. — Dave

Permission to Feel

by Marc Brackett

CELADON BOOKS • NOW IN PAPERBACK

Childhood is a pivotal time for our

development, and Brackett has

developed RULER, a system that

teaches the skills of emotional

intelligence, setting children and

adults up for healthier relationships to their own

emotions and those of others. — MJ

The Undying

by Anne Boyer

PICADOR • NOW IN PAPERBACK

Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for

nonﬁction, The Undying is

unapologetic, unﬂinching, and

unsentimental. Austere and deeply

personal, it unravels the subtle

intricacies of living with illness as Boyer weaves her

own intimate narrative of an exhaustive pursuit of

undying. — Charlotte

28

Is This Anything?

by Jerry Seinfeld

SIMON & SCHUSTER

Organized by the ﬁve decades that

his time doing Seinfeld and

stand-up spans, this book treats us

to gem after gem of observational

humor, as well as inside moments

of the life and process of one of our greatest

performers. A perfect gift. — Melinda

Solutions and Other Problems

by Allie Brosh

• GALLERY BOOKS

Solutions and Other Problems goes

into the fortitude needed to survive

some of the worst things the world

can throw at you, or that you can

throw at yourself. Allie Brosh has

survived and is ﬁnding her way, with

a snicker and pencil-drawn cartoons, and will help

you survive, too. — Jocelyn

Barely Functional Adult:

It’ll All Make Sense Eventually

by Meichi Ng

• HARPER PERENNIAL

Ng’s smart, funny, honest book of

illustrated personal essays captures

all the feels of growing up and

ﬁnding one’s place in adulthood. Full

of absurdity, awareness, and

universal truths in all their most comic, most

awkward, most endearing forms. — Melinda

A Wealth of Pigeons

by Steve Martin & Harry Bliss

CELADON BOOKS

What do you get when you

combine Steve Martin’s quirky

humor with New Yorker

cartoonist Harry Bliss’s iconic

illustrations? So much joy, a

welcome escape, quite literally something for

everyone. A Wealth of Pigeons exudes warmth and

humanity—a singular treasure to be enjoyed on

repeat. — Melinda

MIND, BODY & SPIRIT HUMOR

Vesper Flights

by Helen Macdonald

• GROVE PRESS

Macdonald delivers a profoundly

moving collection of nature essays

that weaves unexpected and exciting

connections between the natural

world and our own. This is nature

writing at its ﬁnest—steeped in

enticing details, openly personal and emotional,

unafraid to explore tough themes. — Tori

x + y

by Eugenia Cheng

• BASIC BOOKS

Cheng uses principles from her

studies of high-level theoretical math

to imagine a new, ungendered world,

based on character rather than on

arbitrary feminine or masculine traits.

A must-read for STEM majors and

feminists looking for perspectives

outside of the humanities. — Celeste

Tales from the Ant World

by Edward O. Wilson

• LIVERIGHT

If you have a relationship with ants

(be it positive or war-based), don’t

miss this new book by noted

biologist and naturalist Edward O.

Wilson. This accessible exploration

of the world of these six-legged

powerhouses might give you a newfound appreciation

of the wonderful world of Formicidae! — MJ

SCIENCE & NATURE

29

World of Wonders

by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

MILKWEED EDITIONS

Gifted Filipina-Indian poet

Nezhukumatathil’s ability to detail,

celebrate, and use the natural world

to bring nuance to social issues and

the personal puts this lovely

illustrated book in that beautiful blend of science,

memoir, and truth—for me, that’s nature writing at its

best. — Melinda

Braiding Sweetgrass, Special

Edition

by Robin Wall Kimmerer

MILKWEED EDITIONS

This new classic—a weaving of

science, spirituality, and indigenous

wisdom, and a lesson in botany—is

now available in a special edition

with a stunning linen hardcover, ﬁve

illustrations, a bookmark ribbon, and a new

introduction by the author. A great gift for anyone

who loved Braiding Sweetgrass and wants a special

copy to read again and again. — MJ

Black Hole Survival Guide

by Janna Levin

• KNOPF

Planning to visit a black hole? This is

your indispensable travel guide.

Astrophysicist Levin ﬂoats with you

at the event horizon, explaining your

options before you take the plunge.

— Trey

All We Can Save

Edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson &

Katharine K. Wilkinson

• ONE WORLD

All We Can Save looks at climate

change from a feminist perspective,

emphasizing that we need not

choose science over art , or new

ideas versus old, or even hope over

despair—it is in the unity of all ideas that solution and

transformation can be found. For all who are struggling

with current times, this is your read. — S.M.C.

The Forests of California

& The California Field

Atlas: Deluxe Edition

by Obi Kaufmann •

HEYDAY BOOKS

Two new publications from

talented naturalist Kaufmann:

a deluxe edition of The

California Field Atlas and The Forests of California,

an exploration the massive biodiversity found in

the hundreds of tree species in our magniﬁcent

state. It is a gorgeous must-have for the nature

lover in your life. — MJ

Above the Clouds

by Kilian Jornet

HARPERONE

From climbing the highest mountain

in the Pyrenees at the age of 5 to

scaling Mount Everest unaided

twice in one week at 3, Kilian Jornet

has lived an extreme life, and in his

memoir, Above the Clouds, he chronicles the ups and

downs of his journey. — Aric

Distant Shores:

Surﬁng the Ends of the Earth

by Chris Burkard

CHRONICLE CHROMA

Burkard have traveled to all

corners of the world, bringing

back dramatic landscape

photography of perfect waves

with a single surfer and an empty lineup. From Chile

to Iceland, Christmas Island to Russia, these shots

are an inspiration and an instant armchair adventure.

— Melinda

Magdalena: River of Dreams

by Wade Davis

• KNOPF

Davis uses the path of the Rio

Magdalena as the basis for his

narrative arc, exploring the natural,

cultural, and political history of

Columbia’s complicated country.

Amplifying the voices of the people

he meets, Davis is ﬁerce in his desire to tell the full

spectrum of the country’s history, far beyond the

violence that has beset it. — Tori

Two Trees Make a Forest

by Jessica Lee

• CATAPULT

Jessica Lee wanders the evocative

landscape of Taiwan’s mountains

and coast in a quest to forge an

intimate connection with her

family’s mysterious history, and

constructs an alluring portrait of the

island’s unique and enchanting existence along the

way. — Tori

TRAVEL, ADVENTURE & SPORTS

30

One Life

by Megan Rapinoe

PENGUIN PRESS • NOV. 10TH

In One Life, US soccer star Megan

Rapinoe chronicles how her

conservative California upbringing,

her role as the ﬁrst woman soccer

player to come out, and the internal

reckoning that called her to take action for equality

allowed her to fully use her place at the center of the

world’s stage as a force for good. A perfect gift for

every strong person in your life. — Casey

Still Running: The Art of

Meditation in Motion

by Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

• SHAMBHALA

Combining decades of experience

as a runner and Zen practitioner

and teacher, Goddard blends the

arts of moving and stillness and

encourages us to become closer

while traveling farther. A guidebook for starting or

continuing your running practice with a renewed

beginner's body, mind, and spirit. — Kalina

Spirits of San Francisco

Written by Gary Kamiya

Illustrated by Paul Madonna

BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING • OCT. 20TH

Kamiya (Cool Gray City of Love) and

Madonna (All Over Coffee) come

together to illustrate some of the

lesser-known true stories from the

city’s bones. For aﬁcionados of small bites of history

and of the City itself. — Jocelyn

Unforgettable Journeys:

Slow Down and See the World

DK EYEWITNESS • OCTOBER 27TH

Unforgettable Journeys transports

you through some of the planet’s

most beautiful and remote routes.

Feed your wanderlust while sheltering in place…and

take some mental notes about where to venture when

we can ﬁnally get back out there! — Kalina

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My

Life in Lyrics

by Dolly Parton

CHRONICLE BOOKS • NOVEMBER 17TH

She Come By It Natural

by Sarah Smarsh

• SCRIBNER

A great season for Dolly fans!

Told by the legend herself, Dolly

Parton, Songteller gives us a peek

into her life through stories, songs,

and photos. She Come By It Natural, a

more narrative-form biography, gives

an in-depth look into the trials and triumphs of this

musical powerhouse. — MJ

Dance We Do

by Ntozake Shange

• BEACON PRESS

Ceremony, reverence, recollection,

an ode to Blackness in motion, all in

a brief but expansive 160 pages of

testimony, interviews, and deeply

gorgeous photo inserts. — Citlalli

How to Write One Song

by Jeﬀ Tweedy

• DUTTON

Tweedy offers a meditation on his

unique writing process, including

suggestions for ﬁnding inspiration,

his approach to melody and how

and when he decides a song is

“done.” A small, gift-sized hardback,

the book is perfect for the songwriter or other creative

types in your life. And of course it’s a must for all

Wilco fans. — Rico

Nobody Ever Asked Me About

the Girls

by Lisa Robinson

• HENRY HOLT • NOV. 10TH

This is an indispensable archive of

women’s experiences in American

popular music which also provides

illuminating perspectives from some

of pop music’s most beloved icons.

Candid, courageous, and sincere, it takes the

challenges and injustices that women in music face

head on. — Travis

MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS

31

Shit, Actually

by Lindy West

HACHETTE • OCT. 20TH

Former professional ﬁlm critic Lindy

West summarizes the plots (and

points out everything wrong with

them) of classic and often beloved

ﬁlms in her new book. Filled with

some truly hilarious observations, Shit, Actually will

make any ﬁlm fan laugh A LOT. — Jade

Uncomfortable Conversations

with a Black Man

by Emmanuel Acho

FLATIRON BOOKS: AN OPRAH BOOK

NOVEMBER 10TH

Acho has given us quite a gift, both

in the form of his viral hit video

series Uncomfortable Conversations

with a Black Man and his new book

of the same name, a companion to or a continuation

of vital conversations about race relations, racial

injustices, and systemic racism. — Melinda

Decoding “Despacito”

by Leila Cobo

• VINTAGE

PAPERBACK ORIGINAL • NOVEMBER 17TH

Cobo’s rich oral history of Latin

music in the United States goes far

beyond the 2017 hit song, covering

the past 50 years of progress and

inﬂuence in the global music market.

A triumph and a celebration—one that should be read

with each song playing in the background. — Melinda

American Utopia

by David Byrne &

Maira Kalman

• BLOOMSBURY

Broadway’s American Utopia was

originally a kind of live concert album

with a curtain by Maira Kalman, is

now a documentary by Spike Lee and

a book of Kalman’s mobile illustrations

with fragments of Byrne’s lines and lyrics. Like the

show-concert-documentary, the book evokes feeling

versus story and is meant to be experienced more than

read. It is a bright spark within a darker year. — Jocelyn

HOME & GARDEN

32

Windcliff

by Daniel J. Hinkley

TIMBER PRESS

Part memoir and part hands-on

gardening book, Windcliff

showcases Hinkley’s gorgeous,

harmonious, low-water plantings,

which overlook Puget Sound in Washington. His

passion for plants is infectious and Claire Takas’s

photography is breathtaking. This inspiring book is

one to cherish. — S.B.

Off Grid Life

by Foster Huntington

BLACK DOG & LEVENTHAL • OCT. 27TH

Fans of books like Cabin Porn or

Huntington’s previous book, Van

Life, are sure to love his newest

release. With its amazing interiors

and exteriors, this full-color peek

into enviable lifestyles had my

eyes glued to the pages. — MJ

Uprooted: A Gardener

Reﬂects on Beginning Again

by Page Dickey •

TIMBER PRESS

Uprooted is a wonderfully written

account of saying goodbye to a

long-loved garden and starting

anew. I really enjoyed reading

about Dickey’s decision-making

processes regarding ideology, planning, and plant

selection. Engaging and beautifully illustrated, this is

a treat for gardeners. — S.B.

The Home Edit Life

by Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin

CLARKSON POTTER

Leave your self-shame and

berating at the door, because

The Home Edit Life is all about

encouraging you to live your life

as it is and making it work better

for you by noticing what's holding you back. Is it

about decluttering and getting organized? Yes, but

it's really more about how you notice and cultivate

your environment as you go. — Jenny

The Colorwork Bible

by Jesie Ostermiller

• INTERWEAVE

I’m so excited about Ostermiller’s

new book, which walks you

through different color

techniques and lovely patterns

with which to try them. If you’re

ready to take your knitting to the next level, this

promises to be the perfect ﬁt. — Jax

The Art Book, New Edition,

Classic Format

by Phaidon Editors

• PHAIDON PRESS

The dynamic pairings that

occur as a result of arranging

the book alphabetically by

artist rather than classiﬁed by

category forces you to consider

them in relation to each other, not just on their own.

An excellent book for any art enthusiast. — S.B.

Modern Fabric: Twenty-Five

Designers on Their

Inspiration and Craft

by Abby Gilchrist & Amelia Pool

PRINCETON ARCHITECTURAL PRESS

NOVEMBER 3RD

This visual feast is ﬁlled with a

bold range of patterns and

vibrant colors as well as inspirational text about each

designer’s creative process. It is a fantastic gift for any

artist or lover of textiles. — S.B.

Human Nature: Planet Earth

in Our Time

Edited by Geoﬀ Blackwell & Ruth

Hobday

• CHRONICLE BOOKS

In this disquieting new book, 12

photographers team up to

expose the world’s imminent

decay at our own hands: poaching, habitat

destruction, factory farms, pollution, ocean

acidiﬁcation, climate change. — Kalina

ART, CRAFTS & PHOTOGRAPHY

33

Humans

by Brandon Stanton

ST. MARTIN’S PRESS

With human connection in low

supply these days, this book,

ﬁlled with an abundance of love,

hope, and determination, is

exactly what I want to immerse

myself in. — S.B.

ArtCurious

by Jennifer Dasal

PENGUIN BOOKS • PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

From cover to cover, ArtCurious is a

delightful dive into the quirky lore

and contentious tales of art history.

Dasal, with her robust background

in art curation and podcasting,

debunks the myth that art history is boring, and her

writing is approachable for budding and experienced

art historians alike. — Charlotte

Journeys in Natural Dyeing

by Kristine Vejar & Adrienne Rodriguez

ABRAMS

Take a journey around the world

with this beautiful book about

international dyeing techniques,

from the owners of A Verb for

Keeping Warm textile shop in

Oakland. — Jae

Repair Revolution: How Fixers

Are Transforming Our

Throwaway Culture

by John Waxman & Elizabeth Knight

NEW WORLD LIBRARY

Take up your tools of repair, fellow

makers, fellow tinkerers! The

revolution is coming, and it is here to

mend your old jeans, ﬁx that broken toaster, and

ﬁnally get the missing leg on the chair you’ve had for

years! — Jae

The Rise

by Marcus Samuelsson,

with Osayi Endolyn

• VORACIOUS

In The Rise, Samuelsson honors

and explores Black foodways in a

unique and powerful way—by

weaving discussions about

history and culture with recipes

created in honor of Black chefs and people he

admires. It is a joyous celebration of the breadth,

depth, and diversity of Black cooks, where everyone’s

invited. Don’t miss this fantastic book! — S.B.

I Cook in Color

by Asha Gomez

RUNNING PRESS ADULT

Gomez (My Two Souths) has

the uncanny ability to bring

different cultures together

with care and ease. I Cook in

Color is a vibrant and exciting

collection of recipes with global inﬂuences that will

make you want to head right to the kitchen. — S.B.

The Good Book of Southern

Baking

by Kelly Fields, with Kate

Heddings

• LORENA JONES BOOKS

New Orleans chef Kelly Fields

(winner of the James Beard

Award for outstanding pastry

chef) shares her recipes—

including seven for biscuits alone!—as well as her best

tips and tricks. Fields has a laid-back style, but don’t

be fooled: She’s a master in the kitchen. — S.B.

Xi’an Famous Foods

by Jason Wang & Jessica Chou

ABRAMS

I am hungry and excited to get

my hands on these accessible,

authentic western Chinese

dishes, straight from the recipes

of the successful New York

establishment, Xi'an Famous Foods. Hot-oil

handmade noodles, ﬂuffy spicy buns, and decadently

crispy wings, yes please! — Tori

COOKBOOKS & FOOD WRITING

35

The New

Craft of

the Cocktail

by Dale DeGroﬀ

• CLARKSON POTTER

Legendary bartender Dale

DeGroff is so revered at our

house that we refer to him as

Uncle Dale—so clearly we are

excited about this new edition of his highly inﬂuential

ﬁrst book. With 100 new recipes and updated

photography, The New Craft of the Cocktail is the

perfect addition to any cocktail-enthusiast’s bookshelf,

no matter their level of experience (or their devotion to

the author). — S.B.

Time to Eat

by Nadiya Hussain

• CLARKSON POTTER

Whether you were charmed by

Hussain on the The Great British

Baking Show or are just

discovering the British halal baker,

pick this book up for quick and

easy home-cooked meals

centered on whole, healthy food. — Jocelyn

Amboy

by Alvin Cailan, with Alexandra Cuerdo

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT

With recipes inspired by

individual members of Cailan’s

Filipino-American family, Amboy

is full of candid talk, food

truck–style comfort cuisine, and a

range of Filipino necessities, from the perfect coddled

egg to a multiday, build-a-brick- pit-in-your-backyard

whole roast pig. — Tori

Food52 Your Do-Anything

Kitchen

by Food52

• TEN SPEED PRESS

This newest book from the editors

of the online resource Food52 will

show you how to have a

functioning kitchen anywhere.

This book includes inspirational

photos that got me into my

kitchen, WHILE I was reading it! — MJ

The Last Marshmallow

by Grace Lin

CHARLESBRIDGE PUBLISHING

I

n using everyday objects to

introduce mathematical

concepts, Caldecott medalist

Grace Lin also gives a great

lesson on sharing. It’s a

perfect winter read in a new board book series by Lin

on math. I just adore it! — MJ

SOME OF THE YEAR’S BEST KIDS BOOKS

36

Our Little Kitchen

by Jillian Tamaki

ABRAMS BOOKS

This magniﬁcent snapshot

of a diverse cast coming

together one night a week

to cook and share a meal

is the perfect addition to any child’s library to promote

an invaluable sense of community. — MJ

Starcrossed

by Julia Denos

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN • OCT. 27TH

Utterly charming and

magical. I loved Eridani and

Acamar’s long-distance,

interstellar friendship, as well

as their sheer delight when

they swap places. Perfect for

any reader with stars in their eyes and a longing for

adventure in their heart! — Stephanie

Sugar in Milk

Written by Thrity Umrigar

Illustrated by Khoa Le

• RUNNING PRESS

KIDS

Bereft of her culture and homeland,

a young immigrant girl listens as her

aunt recounts a Persian folktale

about a king who felt he had no

room for foreigners until one of them offered sugar for

the king’s milk. The story changes the girl’s perspective

as she realizes that kindness toward others changes

everything. A beautiful book! — Noreen

My Rainbow

Written by Trinity & Deshanna Neal

Illustrated by Art Twink

KOKILA • OCTOBER 20TH

This #OwnVoices story made me

smile, with its depiction of a lovely

family ﬁnding a solution for their

trans daughter’s need to feel like

herself. Perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good

family story and a reminder to kids about how good it

can feel to be themselves. — Jocelyn

BOARD BOOK

All Because You Matter

by Tami Charles

• ORCHARD BOOKS

With art that celebrates Black

joy and uplifting text, this book

is a celebration without

minimizing the wrongs done to

Black people. The past must

be reckoned with to move forward and work toward a

more just world, and as the parent of a white child, I

appreciate the support and language this book gives

us to build a better future for all. — Ivy

Sun Flower Lion

by Kevin Henkes

GREENWILLOW BOOKS

Beloved author-illustrator and

three-time Caldecott medalist

Kevin Henkes continues to

delight readers with his

masterful ability to take a few words and a few shapes

and create an utterly wonderful story. — Kathy

Julián at the Wedding

by Jessica Love

• CANDLEWICK PRESS

Julián is going to a wedding! At

this “party for love,” Julián

makes a new friend, Marisol,

and discovers a fairy house in a

willow tree. In this follow-up to

Julián Is a Mermaid, Jessica Love treats us to a

wonderland of ﬂorals, lace, and pastel ﬁnery. A

fanciful romp. — Molly

PICTURE BOOKS

Skunk and Badger, Book 1

Written by Amy Timberlake

Illustrated by Jon Klassen

ALGONQUIN YOUNG READERS

Odd-couple stories! It’s so easy to

identify with the traits of one while

yearning to be more like the other.

Klassen’s earthy illustrations supply

the details in this frolicking tale to read aloud or

together, with more adventures promised.

— Michelle

Willa the Wisp: The Fabled

Stables, Book 1

Written by Jonathan Auxier

Illustrated by Olga Demidova

AMULET BOOKS • OCT. 20TH

This delightful, highly illustrated

chapter book is perfect for early

readers who love animals and dream of adventures

where they get to save the day. A great start to a

wonderful new series. — Jocelyn

SOME OF THE YEAR’S BEST KIDS BOOKS

37

Above the Rim

Written by Jen Bryant

Illustrated by Frank Morrison

•

ABRAMS

Poetic and informative, Above the

Rim tells the story of Elgin Baylor,

a basketball icon and civil rights

advocate. There is so much to love

in this wonderful book—an inspiring sports tale,

political history made personal, and a moving lesson

in standing up for what is right. — Tori

Becoming a Good Creature

Written by Sy Montgomery

Illustrated by Rebecca Green

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Beloved science writer Sy

Montgomery and Rebecca

Green team up to deliver a

beautiful, gentle book about animals and kindness.

Becoming a Good Creature will feel like a soft, furry hug

to any animal lover. — Tori

Crossings

Written by Katy S. Duﬃeld

Illustrated by Mike Orodán

BEACH LANE BOOKS • OCT. 13TH

Overpasses, underpasses, rope

bridges, tunnels, and more all

help animals migrate safely

across human structures. Orodán’s art captures the

dignity and the adorableness of the animals as well

as details of the crossings. I loved this fascinating and

informative book. — Stephanie

When They Call You a Terrorist

(Young Adult Edition)

Written by Patrisse Khan-Cullors & Asha

Bandele, Adapted by Benee Knauer

WEDNESDAY BOOKS

From a founder of the Black Lives

Matter movement, this young

readers edition is paramount for

every child and teen in your life. It provides answers to

questions adults may not have the language to address,

helping spread understanding and empathy. — MJ

EARLY CHAPTER BOOKS

Becoming Muhammad Ali

by James Patterson & Kwame Alexander

Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile

JIMMY PATTERSON

This biographical novel focuses on

the early years of the famous boxer

Cassius Clay, later known as

Muhammad Ali. Sensitive and

fast-paced, this book is engaging for even the most

reluctant reader. — Noreen

Cinders & Sparrows

by Stefan Bachmann

GREENWILLOW BOOKS • OCT. 13TH

Zita is ﬁerce and determined, with a

big heart, and no matter what any

devious witches and wizards say,

there is much more power in being

kind than there is in darkness and cruelty. I hope to

see more from this little Sparrow! — Jae

MIDDLE GRADE

NONFICTION

When Life Gives You Mangos

by Kereen Getten

DELACORTE PRESS • OCT. 20TH

There’s a sense of mystery in this

book, and I couldn’t put it down.

The descriptions of Clara’s island

are lush and delicious. I also found it

very easy to invest in the characters.

Great for precocious middle graders. — MJ

SOME OF THE YEAR’S BEST KIDS BOOKS

38

The Land of the Cranes

by Aida Salazar

SCHOLASTIC PRESS

When Babita and Mami are held in

detention, Babita uses her picture

stories to help her family ﬁnd one

another. This powerful novel in verse

is afﬁrming for immigrant children and those wanting

to grow their worldview. — Noreen

Fly on the Wall

by Remy Lai

HENRY HOLT & COMPANY

Henry Khoo, who is NOT a baby, is

on a mission to prove his

independence. His proof? He’s going

on a long-distance trip by himself

without telling his family. What

follows is a series of mishaps worthy

of a farce. This graphic novel/prose hybrid is

hilarious, fun, and inspiring. — Ivy

Maya and the Rising Dark

by Rena Barron

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Maya doesn’t know what to think

when time stops and all the colors

drain from the world. When her dad

literally disappears, it’s up to Maya

and her friends to save the day.

Buckle up for a wild ride full of #BlackGirlMagic!

— Stephanie

Serena Says

by Tanita S. Davis

KATHERINE TEGEN BOOKS • NOV. 3RD

This wonderful middle-grade novel

perfectly captures what it means

and feels like to watch the friends

you grew up with start to change

and drift away. Great for any kid

who might be facing a tough transition time or is just

looking for a story about relatable, creative kids and

their friends. — Jocelyn

Class Act

by Jerry Cra

QUILL TREE BOOKS • AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK

How Craft takes serious subject

matter and makes it hilarious

remains a mystery to me, but I was

literally laughing out loud while

reading, just like I did with New Kid.

A great choice for fans of school

stories, socially conscious books, and those who—like

me—love to laugh! — Stephanie

Séance Tea Party

by Reimena Yee

RANDOM HOUSE GRAPHIC

AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK

Lora, an occult-obsessed 12-year-

old, doesn’t want to grow up. She

feels left behind as her friends trade

make-believe for makeup. This

magic-infused tale is an excellent

choice for readers who loved The Witch Boy, Ghosts, or

The Okay Witch. — Molly

The Magic Fish

by Trung Le Nguyen

RANDOM HOUSE GRAPHIC

AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK • OCT. 13TH

This book is a gift. In it, Nguyen

offers readers a beautiful tale of

immigration and coming out that

weaves Vietnamese fairy tales into

something magical and deeply moving. The art is

nothing short of gorgeous. — Stephanie

GRAPHIC NOVELS

MIDDLE GRADE MIDDLE GRADE

Come On In

Edited by Adi Alsaid

INKYARD PRESS • OCT. 13TH

Young adults have a unique

perspective on the experience and

reality of immigration. Their stories

come to life in this remarkable

anthology. This is a rich and

rewarding book. — Trey

Early Departures

by Justin A. Reynolds

KATHERINE TEGEN BOOKS

A lovely modern-day fairy tale of

friendship and family and ﬁnding the

most perfect moments in life in the

midst of grief. The brilliant days the

characters create for each other in

the face of loss ﬁlled me with the same fun and joy they

themselves embrace. — Jocelyn

SOME OF THE YEAR’S BEST KIDS BOOKS

39

Legendborn

by Tracy Deonn

MARGARET K. McELDERRY BOOKS

In these pages, readers ﬁnd a classic

story with a modern setting and a

vibrant magic system. Nuanced

characters take my favorite (but

often played out) Arthurian

mythology and twist it up into something new, ﬁlled

with action and, as the publisher says, Southern

Black girl magic! — MJ

The Scapegracers, Vol. 1

by Hannah Abigail Clarke

EREWHON

Do you like magic? Do you like

witches? If you answered yes, this

book is for you! Magical mystery

abounds, and so does danger, in

this visceral, engrossing, and queer

spellbinding debut. — Stephanie

Watch Over Me

by Nina LaCour

DUTTON BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

LaCour is known for her ability to

portray the inner emotions of

characters in a relatable fashion,

and this book is no different.

Ethereal and modern, teenagers

hungry for drama and intrigue will ﬁnd a home in

LaCour’s creation. — MJ

The Left-Handed Booksellers

of London

by Garth Nix

KATHERINE TEGEN BOOKS

This madcap adventure with

unparalleled world building kept me

guessing at every step. The

Left-Handed Booksellers of London

deserves a place on the shelf with Neil Gaiman and

Diana Wynne Jones. — Ivy

Long Way Down:

The Graphic Novel

Written by Jason Reynolds

Illustrated by Danica Novgorodoﬀ

ATHENEUM BOOKS • OCT. 13TH

This graphic novelization of the

award-winning novel in verse

chronicling one Black boy’s dilemma

will grab you and not let go. A great choice for

middle-grade to adult readers. — Noreen

Twins, Vol. 1

Written by Varian Johnson

Illustrated by Shannon Wright

GRAPHIX • AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK

Francine and Maureen are best

friends who happen to be identical

twins. Starting in sixth grade,

Maureen doesn’t want things to

change, but Francine suddenly wants to be Fran and

pushes her sister away. A series-starting book, great

for fans of Real Friends or Invisible Emmie. — Ivy

GRAPHIC NOVELS

YOUNG ADULT