Most Anticipated Books, Vol. 2: Summer/Fall 2022

Jul 5

Jul 5 Most Anticipated Books, Vol. 2: Summer/Fall 2022

We’re halfway through 2022, which means it’s time for us to finally reveal what books we’re most excited about for the rest of the year! These are books we are clamoring to get in stock and in the hands of customers, and you don’t want to miss them. Read on for our shortlist, and check out the entire longlist on our website.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (July 5)

I’m really looking forward to reading this epic-sounding, sweeping novel about friendship and video games. Emma read this and hasn’t stopped talking about it. The cover is incredible. I can’t wait. —Mike

It’s hard to put into words how much I loved this novel. It’s a story about friendship and how it changes over time, but it’s also so much more. The format of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow reads a bit like a video game, each level/chapter taking you deeper into the story and further into the brilliant minds of Zevin’s characters. This book is not to be missed! —Julia

The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger (July 5)

Having grown up in Florida, I’m a real sucker for a hurricane novel. A category 6 driving through the worst state sounds like some popcorn reading to me! —Mike

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield (July 12)

I find the ocean mystifying, and I am both intrigued and horrified by it. This novel perfectly captures that depth and mystery, applying it to the two main characters and their relationship together. Leah is a marine biologist whose submarine sinks to the bottom of the ocean on a routine expedition. She does eventually emerge from the ocean, returning to her wife, Miri, but Miri becomes distressed by how much Leah has changed, how oddly she is acting now that she is back on dry land. This book is heartbreaking and romantic and delightfully strange and an absolute must read! —Lindsay

Girls That Never Die by Safia Elhillo (July 12)

What a beautiful, crazy, heart-wrenching book of poetry. Elhillo’s sharp language and keen imagery create a landscape of tenderness and pain that keeps you engaged and leaves you a little softer at the end. This collection is also a fierce and encompassing reminder that current political events in the United States are part of a larger, complex fabric of female oppression and resilience, and should be treated as such. In short, Elhillo knows what she’s doing, and her newest collection perfectly exemplifies just how masterful she is. —Anna

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (July 12)

This incredible retelling of Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher is so beautifully done and just the right amount of creepy. Its exploration of gender dynamics and linguistics is unexpected and so interesting, especially set against the classically gothic backdrop. The Ushers are being plagued by a sinister presence and the journey to discovering its cause is so engrossing you’ll want to read the whole thing in one sitting! The cover is beautiful, the writing is masterful, the vibes are haunting, what more could you ask for!!! —Jacs

The Pink Hotel by Liska Jacobs (July 19)

LA is on fire and this wild cast of characters are trapped in a posh hotel. As the fire slowly creeps closer and closer, the guests and staff become more and more unhinged. This is a perfect late summer/early fall thriller for those last trips to the beach. —Mike

Parfait, Not Parfait! by Scott Rothman (August 9)

I had the chance to ask one of my fave picture book authors, Scott Rothman, “out of curiosity, why did you choose to rhyme words with parfait in your new book?” Listen to his creatively awesome response and I’m sure it’ll convince you to read too!

“Great question! I’ll take you through my thought process. One day I went out to breakfast and my friend ordered a parfait which I thought was an absolutely ridiculous thing for a person to order. And then I thought of how ridiculous the word “parfait” was. And then I realized something far less ridiculous - that the entire world could be divided into two things - things that were parfait and things that were not parfait. So I decided to write a book about that. The fact that so many ridiculous things rhyme with parfait was a happy accident. Hooray!”

—Jacque

Witches by Brenda Lozano (August 16)

This is a story of murder, connection, healing, and feminine power. A healer named Paloma has been killed and Zoe has been sent to report on her death. When Zoe arrives in San Felipe, she meets Feliciana, Paloma’s cousin who had learned her practice from Paloma. These women’s stories entwine together to explore the connections between healing and storytelling, and the experience of creating one’s space in a male dominated community. —Lindsay

Diary of a Misfit by Casey Parks (August 23)

Casey Parks was in her twenties struggling to advance her journalism career when she decided to revisit a years-long mystery in her Louisiana hometown. After opening up about her sexuality the summer after her freshman year of college, her grandmother divulged a surprising small-town secret, "I grew up across the street from a woman who lived as a man."

I loved the tightness of this narrative, and Parks weaves her complicated southern family history seamlessly with Roy Hudgins’ story. There’s an element of self-deprecation and humor in Parks’ narrative, a kind of awareness of the invasive nature of her journalistic pursuit. She does not set out to be a hero, or to right a half-century’s worth of wrongs. As she attempts to reorient herself in the community that expelled her as a teenager, she makes mistakes, she fumbles. An excellent read. —Aatia

Babel by R.F. Kuang (August 23)

This is an anti-colonial dark academia masterpiece! R. F. Kuang's writing is incredibly rich, full of both deep historical knowledge and utterly engaging storytelling. Diving deep into a world of translation and etymology, Babel takes on themes of language, violence, and colonialism. This book is absolutely revolutionary. The must read fantasy of the year! —Julia

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas (September 6)

Cemetery Boys was one of my favorite recent reads so I am incredibly excited for Aiden’s next book! Aiden Thomas has a way of writing fantasy that is simultaneously an epic adventure with entirely new worlds to build and creatures that roam while making it feel grounded through heartfelt relationships and friends that feel like you’ve known forever. He writes a magical world that you can live, breathe, and explore every time you open the book. —Madz

Solito by Javier Zamora (September 6)

This memoir, told in the voice of Javier as a nine year old child, chronicles his passage from El Salvador to America, alone. It is breathtaking, and as a parent, I am reading with my heart in my throat. A magnificent book. —Emma

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma (September 13)

If you haven’t read Ling Ma yet, you are seriously missing out. This collection of stories has me on the edge of my seat! Ling Ma is such a gifted and unique storyteller, and in Bliss Montage, she dives into the everyday delusions of love, loneliness, friendship, family, and forces us to confront reality in the most mind-bending ways. So excited!! —Amali

Strangers to Ourselves by Rachel Aviv (September 13)

Rachel Aviv is very smart. Every time I see her byline, I read what she writes. I’m very very excited to check this one out. —Mike

How Not To Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz (September 13)

Washington Heights royalty returns! —Robby

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman (September 20)

This book is not for the faint of heart! It confronts power, friendship, god complexes, hauntings, drugs, early adulthood, and grief all in one super creepy and gross ghost story. Protagonist Erin’s descent into delusion is so visceral that you will get carried away in its tide and deposited shocked and grossed out at the end. But like…in a good way. —Jacs

The Very Genius Notebooks: The Chronicles of Deltovia by Olivia Jaimes (September 20)

I love the idea of this meta middle grade book. Three friends decide to write a fantasy novel together, and we, the readers, get to read their shared notebook as they write it. The Very Genius Notebooks is just as much about these three middle schoolers’ own lives as it is about their invented world of Deltovia, and it’s equal parts sweet, funny, and absolutely clever. I think this will definitely be a hit for any young reader who's ever dreamed of writing their own book! —Julia

Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer (September 20)

Less made me cry so much, and Less is Lost will most likely do the same! Arthur Less is a character that I will always love and cherish and think about constantly, so I cannot wait to read what comes next. —Amali

Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrell (September 20)

The boss of bosses seems to say this is the one! —Robby

Anne of Greenville by Mariko Tamaki (October 4)

As a collective team, we are sort of really, really, really obsessed with everything Mariko Tamaki! When we saw they were coming out with an Anne of Green Gables retelling we sort of screamed like fans at a Harry Styles concert, to be honest. Anne is a queer music-loving Japanese American who yearns to be an artist. When Anne is relocated to what feels like Mars on Earth, they confront love triangles and that classic bullying, sigh. —Jacque

The Hero of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken (October 4)

Is this a novel? Is this a memoir? Is this a memoir living inside a novel? I don’t know, and I don’t care. Elizabeth McCracken is one of my favorite writers, and this slim, immersive book about a writer grieving in London is full of her sparkling sentences and gimlet eye. I’d go to London with you anytime, under any circumstances, Elizabeth. —Emma

What the Jaguar Told Her by Alexandra V. Mendez (October 11)

A magical Mexican ancestral story of cultural homecoming. After Jade leaves all she knows in Chicago to move in with her family in Atlanta, she must find strength to “become the jaguar,” aka who she is meant to be. Author Alexandra Mendez takes inspo from her own experiences with her biracial identity to explore intertwined themes of family, friendship, and self. Imprint Levine Querido has been on a roll with curating powerful storytelling and authentic perspectives; I have no doubt this lyrical middle grade debut will be too. —Jacque

The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On by Franny Choi (November 1)

This collection is full of love for the world and simultaneously devastating. Choi envisions radical new futures in the face of grave violence. Deeply political, queer, and well worth the read! —Gold

Flight Risk by Cherie Priest (November 1)

I’m always looking for another mystery series to get myself into, and I think this could be the one! With a large cast and some interesting sounding twists, I can’t wait for November to come ‘round with this one!! —Ericka

Shuna's Journey by Hayao Miyazaki (November 1)

Legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki is my idol. Obviously, I’ve seen all his films, you know, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, or Spirited Away, etc. If you haven’t, go on a Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli binge, and it’ll change your life! Translated from Japanese, immerse yourself in a manga classic about a prince on a quest for a golden grain that would save his land! I can’t even tell you how excited I am to throw myself into this world and never come back! —Jacque

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn (November 8)

Legendborn is easily the best YA fantasy I have ever read, so to say that I’m excited for the sequel, Bloodmarked, would be a huge understatement. Tracy Deonn is just such a gifted storyteller, and I love how Bloodmarked takes everything that works about Legendborn—the magic systems, the politically complex secret society, the romantic tension, and so much more—and ups the ante. I stayed up into the wee hours of the night ravenously turning pages to see what Bree, Sel, Nick, and the rest of the cast were up to in this Arthurian-inspired fantasy. Bloodmarked is out in November, so now is the perfect time to pick up book one! —Julia

What’s For Dessert by Claire Saffitz (November 8)

OMG A NEW CLAIRE SAFFITZ BOOK!!!! Does this even need a blurb, really? What are you doing if you aren’t preordering this book right now? Seriously. —Mike

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales (November 29)

Are you the type of person who gets deeply invested in hearing all of your friends' drama? Mainly because it doesn’t actually involve you at all, but you get to have opinions about it? This book is for you. It’s like John Tucker Must Die and The Other Woman if it were set on a reality TV show. OH! And if all of the scorned women just end up dating each other instead. I tore through this book in two days. It has enemies to allies to friends to lovers. It has a one bed trope. It’s joyously queer. And it has the best written most awfully insufferable man you will ever love to hate—culminating in his deliciously satisfying demise in a way you won’t suspect. —Madz