Camino and Yahaira live very different lives. One lives in New York City, one lives in the Dominican Republic. One feels drawn to the water, one is a chess wizard. But what they have in common is what brings them together: they are sisters. When their father dies in a plane crash on his way from NYC to the Dominican (a trip he makes every summer), both of their lives are turned upside down and they discover the truth their father kept from both of them: each other. This is a beautifully written novel in verse that explores how we can both love someone and not know them and how to forgive someone when they are no longer there to forgive.
Email or call for price
Emezi's latest is a transcendent tale of love, life, and tragedy set in modern day Nigeria. Something's up with Vivek: he talks much less, he seems detached from himself and the world around him, and he's let his hair grow in glimmering curls that cascade far past his shoulders. His family is convinced he's sick and so Vivek begins to confide in his friends and cousins who aren't out to change or cure like everyone else. There's no question of his fate, so the mystery lies in who Vivek was in life. A moving experience with the air of a classic.
Skye Shin has what it takes, and she's more than ready to prove it. When a Kpop competition comes to LA, she eagerly enters both the singing and dancing portions, defying the fears and fatshaming she receives from her mother, posed to prove to her and everyone watching that there's room for girls like her in the ruthless and rollicking world of Kpop. When superstar Henry Cho enters the competition and immediately diverts the spotlight, she knows she'll have to burn the stage to become the next big thing.
There are few novels that manage to be timely, well-written, closely attuned to current discourse, and compulsively readable. Luster is one of these novels. The prose is so sharp yet sumptuous it's surely to be analyzed by generations of literary scholars to come. Leilani's creation of Edie and her complicated relationships demonstrates a writer unafraid of defying expectations at every turn, even as her career is just beginning. Luster absorbs and refracts the brilliance of an undeniable talent.
McManus's highly-anticipated follow-up to One of Us Is Lying exceeds the frothy, feverous intrigue of its predecessor. Same squad (though slightly more grown up); new mystery. All of the drama, twist, and teen angst that keeps the pages turning. A deadly game of truth or dare + characters you can root for = the perfect all-night escapism. Truly un-put-down-able.
Douglas Stuart's debut is a stunning, incredibly harrowing tale of the power of family and addiction that has already been widely hailed as a masterpiece. Stuart's full, deferential rendering of the characters and the setting of 1980's Scotland immerses readers fully in the story's emotional landscape. You will laugh, you will cry. You will be shocked and angry and overjoyed and deeply saddened. You will never, ever forget Shuggie Bain.
Email or call for price
Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar chronicles her life from Somali refugee to becoming one of two Muslim women in the House of Representatives in this harrowing and incredibly engaging autobiography. Omar details her childhood in civil war-torn Somalia and then in a refugee camp in Kenya, the beginning of her journey to the forefront of American politics. Her concise prose and inspiring underdog story keep the pages turning, making this a singularly enjoyabl political biography.
World of Wonders is a gorgeous collection of stories that will have readers awestruck by the author's vivid, deferential depictions of various flora and fauna, demonstrating the meaningful connections we can forge with nature. This is a book of learning, discovering, and unshakable joy. A brilliant rainbow that shimmers with hope and love; the antidote for these dark, dark times.