Fall season is coming soon, which means that it will be the perfect time to cozy up with some great reads. If you need some recommendations, we’ve got you covered! Reader Services librarians Misha and Genesee recently joined Amity on New Day Northwest to share some book recommendations.
Misha suggested these three titles, all by authors with upcoming September events at the Central Library:
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Poet Danez Smith said in their NYTimes review that James McBride’s latest novel is “a Murder Mystery Wrapped inside a Great American Novel.” This historical novel is set in a Pottstown, Pennsylvania neighborhood called Chicken Hill and focuses on the Jewish and Black communities there. While there is a murder mystery that unravels slowly, the real beating heart are two characters— Chona, a disabled Jewish shop owner who serves her Black & European immigrant neighbors with a fierce love, and Dodo, the deaf Black child that Chona and her husband take in when the authorities seek to take him away. Utterly immersive and rich with character, it feels like an instant classic.
Join us for the event on September 12th with Third Place Books, Langston Seattle, The Seattle Public Library Foundation, The Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation, and The Seattle Times.
Vampires of El N
orte by Isabel Cañas
This historical romance is also a suspenseful supernatural Western with star-crossed lovers, and yes, vampires. We meet friends and childhood sweethearts Nena and Néstor in 1840s Mexico, now Texas, as teenagers who sneak off one night on an adventure. But Nena is attacked by a strange beast and Néstor flees when he is told she died. Only 9 years later, he learns when he returns to defend her family’s land from a US invasion, Nestor learns that he was wrong and that Nena is very much alive. If you like a slow burn romance with a little paranormal peril, and like stories of resistance against colonial land grabs, then this is for you!
Join us for the event on September 13th with Clarion West, Mexican Consulate, The Seattle Public Library Foundation, the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation, The Seattle Times, and Third Place Books.
101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann
Horror is having a moment and is, in fact, in the middle of a Golden Age—lots more writes of color and queer writers impacting the genre—and Sadie Hartmann who is also known online as “Mother Horror” is very much a part of that. Hartmann is a PNW reviewer, fan, and publisher who LOVES horror, even though she professes to be a scaredy cat! This book is a love letter to the genre and an incredible introduction to recent horror books and authors. Through reviews that don’t reveal too much other than the reading experience you are in for, author spotlights, and sub-genre deep dives, Hartmann highlights the rich diversity of voices that are making the genre so exciting—and, dare I say, fun!
Join us for the event on September 13th with Clarion West, Mexican Consulate, The Seattle Public Library Foundation, the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation, The Seattle Times, and Third Place Books.
Genesee suggested these three titles:
The Dawnhounds by Sasha Stronach
This is the gritty, biopunk, immersive fantasy novel we all deserve! Yat, the protagonist, is a street-kid-turned-constable who learns that police can’t guarantee safety, pirates are super hot, and dying can lead to terrifying magic that just might save her community. It’s atmospheric, queer, and completely engrossing. The action keeps the pages turning as much as the characterization. Come for the mystery and magic and stay for the badass characters set in an unkind world. This book won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Novel. I suggest this for fans of flawed characters and unique worldbuilding.
Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington
This is a phenomenal young adult thriller with crossover appeal for adults. Imagine Squid Game meets the movie Ready Or Not – lots of entitlement, power dynamics, and violence. Adina, the main character, is one of just a few Black students at an elite private school. During her senior year, a jealous white student provokes her into a fight and Adina finds out that all her college acceptances have been rescinded. Committed to going to college, she wrangles an invite to a competition called The Finish. All that she knows of this secret competition is that the winner gets accepted to their college of their choice plus a full-ride scholarship. After she arrives, it quickly becomes apparent that this is not the competition she thought it was and she might not survive. I suggest this for fans of Final Girl storylines and Hunger Games-type competitions.
Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H
This is a stunning coming-of-age memoir told through essays that examine what it means for the author, Lamya H to be South Asian, gender nonconforming, queer, an immigrant, and Muslim. This memoir flows between personal remembrances and meditations on the Qur’an, Allah, and jinn. The author is so thoughtful and vulnerable, her storytelling is exquisite. This deep exploration of queerness, belonging, and faith is hopeful and lends the reader a sense of solidarity in resistance. Resistance against all binaries, against white, Western norms for queerness, and against being anything other than utterly yourself the way you chose to be. Lamya doesn’t shy away from the complexity that is humanity, in fact, she holds it with a tenderness that is incredibly comforting. I suggest this for the introspective reader and those who enjoy inspiring and captivating memoirs.
~Posted by Genesee R.
Leave a Comment