“There is always something left to love.” – Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Day
fiction / historical fiction.
Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference.
When she’s not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell’s Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love.
But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he’s a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she’s a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.
Frances is destined to rise in a political world dominated by men, facing down the Great Depression as FDR’s most trusted lieutenant—even as she struggles to balance the demands of a public career with marriage and motherhood. And when vicious political attacks mount and personal tragedies threaten to derail her ambitions, she must decide what she’s willing to do—and what she’s willing to sacrifice—to save a nation.
“[An] insightful fictional biography… Women’s historical fiction fans won’t want to miss this.” – Publishers Weekly
“Though it’s practically a who’s who of life during the beginning of the twentieth century (Sinclair Lewis, the Roosevelts, and Al Smith all play major roles), Dray never takes the focus off of the remarkable woman at the center of it all. Highly recommended…” – Lynnanne Pearson, Booklist
“…fascinating… The accomplishments of this remarkable woman, with her strength, determination, and drive, leave the reader with admiration and awe.” – Janice Ottersberg, Historical Novel Society
Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham
fiction.
I’d seen the Senator speak a few times before my life got caught up, however distantly, with his, but the first time I can remember paying real attention was when he delivered the speech announcing his run for the Presidency.
When David first hears the Senator from Illinois speak, he feels deep ambivalence. Intrigued by the Senator’s idealistic rhetoric, David also wonders how he’ll balance the fervent belief and inevitable compromises it will take to become the United States’ first Black president.
Great Expectations is about David’s eighteen months working for the Senator’s presidential campaign. Along the way David meets a myriad of people who raise a set of questions—questions of history, art, race, religion, and fatherhood—that force David to look at his own life anew and come to terms with his identity as a young Black man and father in America.
Meditating on politics and politicians, religion and preachers, fathers and family, Great Expectations is both an emotionally resonant coming-of-age story and a rich novel of ideas, marking the arrival of a major new writer.
“…one of the smartest and most involving political novels I’ve read in ages.” – Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal
“[An] electrifying first novel and bildungsroman of consummate artistry and sensitivity, honed vision and wit.” – Donna Seaman, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“More than a chronicle of idealism and disillusionment, this is an extended exploration of the power and limits of believing in something bigger than oneself. Cunningham’s remarkable first novel matches the scale of its namesake.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel ★
fiction.
An unexpected tragedy at a community pool. A family’s unrelenting expectation of victory. The desire to gain or lose control; to make time speed up or stop; to be frighteningly, undeniably good at something. Each of the eight teenage girl boxers in this blistering debut novel has her own reasons for the sacrifices she has made to come to Reno, Nevada, to compete to be named the best in the country. Through a series of face-offs that are raw, ecstatic, and punctuated by flashes of humor and tenderness, prizewinning writer Rita Bullwinkel animates the competitors’ pasts and futures as they summon the emotion, imagination, and force of will required to win.
Frenetic, surprising, and strikingly original, Headshot is a portrait of the desire, envy, perfectionism, madness, and sheer physical pleasure that motivates young women to fight—even, and perhaps especially, when no one else is watching.
“Sensational… Bullwinkel lit the scene on fire with her debut story collection Belly Up and returns with a first novel that is a stone-cold stunner.” – Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful
“Wickedly sharp and original, Rita Bullwinkel’s striking debut upends the genre in this portrait of eight teenage girl boxers…” – Sophia June, Nylon
“[Bullwinkel’s] prose is direct, deft, and tough, but not without grace and emotion… Bullwinkel renders the intricacies of adolescent girlhood in such a way that cannot fail to give readers sharp jolts of recognition.” – Martha Alexander, AnOther Magazine
“Bullwinkel’s 2018 short story collection Belly Up wasn’t afraid of bewildering its readers. Her first novel is even more brazen, testing the boundaries of what a novel can even be while refusing to hold back a single, brutal punch… The timeline spans just the two days… but the story itself is cavernous, spreading across time and space, expanding into profound experiences of love, grief, girlhood, and ambition, and how these experiences interplay with the power and catharsis of physical pain. It’s awe-inspiring and incomparable.” – Arianna Rebolini, Bustle
I Finally Bought Some Jordans: Essays by Michael Arceneaux
nonfiction / essays / memoir / comedy.
In his books I Can’t Date Jesus and I Don’t Want to Die Poor, Michael Arceneaux established himself as one of the most beloved and entertaining writers of his generation, touching upon such hot-button topics as race, class, sexuality, labor, debt, and, of course, paying homage to the power and wisdom of Beyoncé. In this collection, Arceneaux takes stock of how far he has traveled—and how much ground he still has to cover in this patriarchal, heteronormative society. He explores the opportunities afforded to Black creatives but also the doors that remain shut or ever-so-slightly ajar; the confounding challenges of dating in a time when social media has made everything both more accessible and more unreliable; and the allure of returning home while still pushing yourself to seek opportunity elsewhere.
I Finally Bought Some Jordans is both a corrective to, and a balm for, these troubling times, revealing a sharply funny and keen-eyed storyteller working at the height of his craft.
“…chaotic, comical, and candid… Arceneaux balances humor with heart to show how far he has come and how much further society still needs to go.” – Shannon Carlin, Time
“Arceneaux’s third compendium of essays is his keenest and best yet… [he] is a hilarious and brilliant analyst of culture… Arceneaux’s writing is a kind friend on the phone and his seek-and-ye-shall-find approach to pleasure and contentment is alive and contagious.” – Courtney Eathorne, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Arceneaux’s acerbic wit sizzles (to those who questioned why he relocated to wildfire-prone L.A., he responds, ‘At least I have a lovely view of a burning world’), and he balances the humor with heartfelt reflection. This packs a punch.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against “The Apocalypse” by Emily Raboteau
nonfiction / essays / memoir.
Lessons for Survival is a probing series of pilgrimages from the perspective of a mother struggling to raise her children to thrive without coming undone in an era of turbulent intersecting crises.
With camera in hand, Raboteau goes in search of birds, fluttering in the air or painted on buildings, and city parks where her children may safely play while avoiding pollution, pandemics, and the police. She ventures abroad to learn from Indigenous peoples, and in her own family and community, she discovers the most intimate examples of resilience. Raboteau bears witness to the inner life of Black womanhood, motherhood, the brutalities and possibilities of cities, while celebrating the beauty and fragility of nature. This innovative work of reportage and autobiography stitches together multiple stories of protection, offering a profound sense of hope.
“A thoughtful collection with an urgent message.” – Kirkus Reviews
“[A] vivid and varied consideration of a world in crisis.” – Publishers Weekly
“[This] urgent and thought-provoking book encourages readers to face the climate crisis and oppression courageously.” – Rebecca Hopman, Booklist
Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson
nonfiction / religion.
For generations, the book of Genesis has been treated by scholars as a collection of documents by various hands, expressing different factional interests, with borrowings from other ancient literatures that mark the text as derivative. In other words, academic interpretation of Genesis has centered on the question of its basic coherency, just as fundamentalist interpretation has centered on the question of the appropriateness of reading it as literally true.
Both of these approaches preclude an appreciation of its greatness as literature, its rich articulation and exploration of themes that resonate through the whole of Scripture. Marilynne Robinson’s Reading Genesis, which includes the full text of the King James Version of the book, is a powerful consideration of the profound meanings and promise of God’s enduring covenant with humanity. This magisterial book radiates gratitude for the constancy and benevolence of God’s abiding faith in Creation.
“In this highly learned yet accessible book, Robinson offers believers fresh insight into a well-studied text.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…immersive… Robinson skillfully melds her literary interpretation with her theological one… Patient readers will be rewarded.” – Publishers Weekly
“…literary, scholarly, and personal… Throughout this deeply involving and enlightening exegesis, Robinson links Genesis to the profound dilemmas of our time. ” – Donna Seaman, Booklist
The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan
fiction / historical fiction.
When the new deputy librarian, Juliet Lansdown, finds that Bethnal Green Library isn’t the bustling hub she is expecting, she becomes determined to breathe life back into it. But can she show the men in charge that a woman is up to the task of running the library, especially when a confrontation with her past threatens to derail her?
Katie Upwood is thrilled to be working at the library, although she is only there until she heads off to university in the fall. But after the death of her beau on the front line and amid tumultuous family strife, she finds herself harboring a life-changing secret with no one to turn to for help.
Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee, came to London on a domestic service visa only to find herself working as a maid for a man who treats her abominably. She escapes to the library every chance she can, finding friendship in the literary community and aid in finding her sister, who is still trying to flee occupied Europe.
When a slew of bombs destroys the library, Juliet relocates the stacks to the local Underground station where the city’s residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up. But tragedy after tragedy threatens to unmoor the women and sever the ties of their community. Will Juliet, Kate, and Sofie be able to overcome their own troubles to save the library? Or will the beating heart of their neighborhood be lost forever?
“…heartwarming… This uplifting and inspirational story is perfect for readers looking for heroic home front World War II novels with connections to actual events.” – Fiona Alison, Historical Novel Society
“This is not only a testament to the strength of women during WWII; it is also a love letter to libraries and the boundless knowledge and pleasure they provide. While the individual women’s stories are works of fiction, the story is based on true events that happened in Bethnal Green and around London, adding to the emotional impact of Ryan’s well-researched tale.” – Patricia Smith, Booklist
Until August by Gabriel García Márquez; translated by Anne McLean ★
fiction.
Sitting alone beside the languorous blue waters of the lagoon, Ana Magdalena Bach contemplates the men at the hotel bar. She has been happily married for twenty-seven years and has no reason to escape the life she has made with her husband and children. And yet, every August, she travels by ferry here to the island where her mother is buried, and for one night takes a new lover.
Across sultry Caribbean evenings full of salsa and boleros, lotharios and conmen, Ana journeys further each year into the hinterland of her desire and the fear hidden in her heart.
Constantly surprising, joyously sensual, Until August is a profound meditation on freedom, regret, self-transformation, and the mysteries of love—an unexpected gift from one of the greatest writers the world has ever known.
“A meditation on love and morality, this is an essential novel from a monarch of 20th century literature.” – Isabelle McConville, Barnes & Noble
“This brief offering delivers graceful insight into the fickle human heart, serving as an absorbing—if quiet—epilogue to García Márquez’s towering oeuvre.” – Yi Jiang, BookPage
“[A] brisk and frisky tale of extramarital sex doubling as a parable of parental inscrutability… what for other novelists might supply an entire plot is for García Márquez merely half a sentence’s throwaway flourish.” – Anthony Cummins, The Guardian
“García Márquez wrangles, too, with signature themes like the vulnerability of love and the buzzsaw of desire… McLean’s nuanced translation harkens back to the maestro’s canonical novels while evoking, in a composition as tight as a Rembrandt portrait, the ache of human need.” – Hamilton Cain, Star Tribune
Victim by Andrew Boryga ★
fiction / comedy.
Javier Perez is a hustler from a family of hustlers. He learns from an early age how to play the game to his own advantage, how his background—murdered drug dealer dad, single cash-strapped mom, best friend serving time for gang activity—can be a key to doors he didn’t even know existed. This kind of story, molded in the right way, is just what college admissions committees are looking for, and a full academic scholarship to a prestigious university brings Javi one step closer to his dream of becoming a famous writer.
As a college student, Javi embellishes his life story until there’s not even a kernel of truth left. The only real connection to his past is the occasional letter he trades with his childhood best friend, Gio, who doesn’t seem to care about Javi’s newfound awareness of white privilege or the school-to-prison pipeline. Soon after Javi graduates, a viral essay transforms him from a writer on the rise to a journalist at a legendary magazine where the editors applaud his “unique perspective.” But Gio more than anyone knows who Javi really is, and sees through his game. Once Gio’s released from prison and Javi offers to cut him in on the deal, will he play along with Javi’s charade, or will it all come crumbling down?
A sendup of virtue signaling and tear-jerking trauma plots written with the bite of Paul Beatty, Victim asks what real diversity looks like and how far one man is willing to go to make his story hit the right notes.
“[A] crowning achievement.” – Mateo Askaripour, New York Times
“A sharp and biting satire about the truths and lies we can hide behind in the digital age. The voice of the narration is wickedly perfect and propels this novel with ease. Boryga understands tone, pace, and voice better than most.” – Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful
“In the vein of satires such as Percival Everett’s glorious Erasure, Paul Beatty’s The Sellout, and Mithu Sanyal’s Identitti… Superbly written, this is a darkly funny, searing exposé of the contemporary appetite for trauma narratives and the ill-informed responses of many institutions to issues of racial justice.” – Alexander Moran, Booklist
“Victim is one of those rare outliers that manages to engage with the cliched polemic without getting trapped into it… A buoyant read… [Boryga’s] raw, vivid, and affectionate depiction of city life is refreshingly unpretentious and down-to-earth… his novel is more an examination of the human condition than a polemic, giving ample space to grey areas, and sincerely exploring profound and universal questions about morality and responsibility, fate and free will, social structures and the role we play in them as individuals.” – Stephen G. Adubato, The Critic
The Woman With No Name by Audrey Blake
fiction / historical fiction.
1942.Though she survived the bomb that destroyed her home, Yvonne Rudellat’s life is over. She’s estranged from her husband, her daughter is busy with war work, and Yvonne—older, diminutive, overlooked—has lost all purpose. Until she’s offered a chance to remake herself entirely…
The war has taken a turn for the worse, and the men in charge are desperate. So, when Yvonne is recruited as Britain’s first female sabotage agent, expectations are low. But her tenacity, ability to go unnoticed, and aptitude for explosives set her apart. Soon enough she arrives in occupied France with a new identity, ready to set the Nazi regime ablaze.
But there are adversaries on all sides. As Yvonne becomes infamous as the nameless, unstoppable woman who burns the enemy at every turn, she realizes she may lose herself to the urgent needs of the cause…
“Resilience, courage, and bravery outshine the enemy in this fast-paced, historical read.” – Emily Borsa, Booklist
“[An] interesting treatment of a little-known aspect of WWII.” – G.J. Berger, Historical Novel Society
“With its strong pacing, immaculate setting, and captivating characters, I highly recommend this for fans of historical fiction.” – The 52 Book Club
You Get What You Pay For: Essays by Morgan Parker
nonfiction / essays / memoir.
Dubbed a voice of her generation, poet and writer Morgan Parker has spent much of her adulthood in therapy, trying to square the resonance of her writing with the alienation she feels in nearly every aspect of life, from her lifelong singleness to a battle with depression. She traces this loneliness to an inability to feel truly safe with others and a historic hyperawareness stemming from the effects of slavery.
In a collection of essays as intimate as being in the room with Parker and her therapist, Parker examines America’s cultural history and relationship to Black Americans through the ages. She touches on such topics as the ubiquity of beauty standards that exclude Black women, the implications of Bill Cosby’s fall from grace in a culture predicated on acceptance through respectability, and the pitfalls of visibility as seen through the mischaracterizations of Serena Williams as alternately iconic and too ambitious.
With piercing wit and incisive observations, You Get What You Pay For is ultimately a portal into a deeper examination of racial consciousness and its effects on mental well-being in America today. Weaving unflinching criticism with intimate anecdotes, this devastating memoir-in-essays paints a portrait of one Black woman’s psyche—and of the writer’s search to both tell the truth and deconstruct it.
“…alternately witty and searing…” – Emma Specter, Vogue
“As Parker writes, ‘Words are ductile, delicate, and loaded like that.’ Never more so than in her capable hands.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…thought-provoking, engaging, and tightly crafted… The writing is captivating, rife with poetic turns of phrase and powerful insights. An absorbing, insightful collection from a multitalented writer.” – Allison Escoto, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
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