Most Anticipated Fall / Winter 2021
Obie Is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar (Sept 7)
A transgender tween makes a literal and metaphorical splash! Obie is the inspo I need in my life - and yours! Take my word. (JI)
How to Wrestle a Girl by Venita Blackburn (Sept 7)
In these bite sized stories Blackburn crafts a visceral picture of girlhood and is able to reimagine how it is to tell a story—all with humor, honesty, and beauty. (AP)
Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (Sept 7)
I love a good enemies-to-lovers period romance! Lucian and Hattie are both trying to use the other to their gain through their impending marriage. But as they get to know each other over a trip to Scotland, maybe this marriage will become something more than just a strategic alliance… (LH)
Matrix by Lauren Groff (Sept 7)
I had to let this marinate in my brain for a few days after reading and my conclusion? It is simply delicious. Marie, who I picture as a sort of Brienne of Tarth-like Crusade warrior-turned-legendary-enterprising-abbess of the Middle Ages is a character I can’t seem to shake. Inside the cold, damp walls of this once-forsaken abbey, it's not just acts of faith and words of piety that save them and their surrounding villages from destitution, but a blazing, radiant soul that grows stronger in the true understanding of deep collective care and community building. Leave it to Lauren Groff to make Middle Age nuns some of the most relevant and compelling characters of 2021. (CC)
Poet Warrior by Joy Harjo (Sept 7)
From three-time U.S. poet laureate comes this new memoir which honors both the journey itself and the trailblazers who shaped this poet-warrior’s path to becoming, to remembering, to creating, and to celebrating. Harjo’s work is always full of luminous wisdom, radical honesty, and spiritual truth. So, as always, it’s a yes from me! (SM)
The Water Statues by Fleur Jaeggy (Sept 7)
Short, and beautiful. If you have not read Fluer Jaeggy you should run out and get them all. (NB)
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney (Sept 7)
It’s always Sally Rooney Day at Books Are Magic. (ES)
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang (9/7)
I am so excited for this debut memoir--a coming of age story about a Chinese immigrant in New York City. Wang’s voice is powerful and the writing is absolutely gorgeous. (ES)
The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young (9/7)
Fable and Namesake were my favorite YA fantasy books of 2020, so of course I am super hyped for Adrienne Young’s next adventure! She is super talented at writing strong, admirable female characters. (JI)
A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria (Sept 14)
Think telenovelas like Jane The Virgin! This LatinX rom-com takes steamy love to the next level. Dive in! (JI)
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (Sept 14)
Harlem Shuffle is a historical crime novel that has, in typical Colson Whitehead fashion, an awful amount of warmth and heart. It follows Ray Carney, a "slightly bent" used furniture salesman who is roped into a high stakes heist by his cousin Freddie. When things start to go wrong, Ray has to juggle a dual identity - the upstanding citizen his friends and family know him as, versus someone who has a clientele composed of crooks and thieves. It's brilliant, entertaining, humorous, and smart as hell - anyone who knows anything about Colson Whitehead knows they're in for a treat. (SK)
The Insiders by Mark Oshiro (Sept 21)
Mark Oshiro is a BAM local favorite. I happily read this book in one sitting and totally recommend it to readers 8-12 years old (and all older fans too! Don’t let the age rating deter you) Basically kids “in the closet '' hide in an actual closet (oh the irony) but this is no ordinary closet - it is magic. (JI)
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen (Oct 5)
If you can see this title and not immediately start singing Bone Thugz n Harmony to yourself, well, that makes one of us. Everyone I know who has read this has loved it. (ES)
The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman (Oct 5)
Alice Hoffman is always a “must buy” author for me, especially novels from her Practical Magic series. These books have some of the richest female relationships I have read and you fall in love with the characters as they go through wonderful highs and traumatic lows. (LH)
There's a Ghost in This House by Oliver Jeffers (Oct 5)
Who wouldn't be excited about a new Oliver Jeffers. It's Oliver Jeffers. We are always excited about a new Oliver Jeffers. BUT THIS ONE HAS GHOSTS!! There are fun pages where you can play hide and ghost seek! I can't wait to see this book in my hands! (NB)
Notable Native People by Adrienne Keene (Oct 5)
This gorgeously-illustrated, comprehensive anthology features notable figures from many different tribes of the Americas, across various sectors of life ranging from activism to athleticism and beyond. Several of my personal heroes are featured here, including a previous kumu (teacher) of mine, Kumu Lanakila, and on a personal note, it’s an incredible feeling to see not one but several Kanaka Maoli represented in this anthology! (SM)
Search History by Eugene Lim (Oct 5)
Frank Exit is dead - and reincarnated as a dog? And so we follow a grieving friend as he embarks on a wild chase to find his dead friend - who is now a dog. It’s subversive, surprising, and satirical - who wouldn’t love it? (SK)
The New Adventures of Helen: Magical Tales by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya (Oct 5)
This Russian author is one of my favorite “horror” authors. Her tales reflect the darkness of people, the USSR, and the world around us. I know this is going to be one of my favorites of the entire year! - - - Nick
Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan (Oct 5)
The master of Mythology based adventure takes to the sea! My favorite place! (NB)
Smile by Sarah Ruhl (Oct 5)
Sarah Ruhl is most famous as a playwright, but this memoir is magnificent, an absolute master class in the art of writing, period. It’s about Ruhl developing Bell’s Palsy in the wake of giving birth, but it’s really about writing, and motherhood, and what it means to have a face in the world. I loved it. (ES)
Fight Night by Miriam Toews (Oct 5)
Miriam Toews is one of a kind. This book is like entering the home of a wild, slightly dysfunctional, but wholly connected family -- a grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter -- that has been fighting for their survival their whole lives. It’s funny and raw and has the most tender moments. (CC)
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins (Oct 5)
This book sounds good and creepy and funny. Some deep mystical desert vibes seem to be happening. There better be a shout out to I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness though. (MFS)
All of the Marvels: A Journey to the Ends of the Biggest Story Ever Told by Douglas Wolk (Oct 5)
Douglas Wolk has done the unthinkable and read through every comic (all 27,000!) published by Marvel to write this behemoth of a history book. I can’t wait. - Shulokhana
Empty Wardrobes by Maria Judite de Carvalho (Oct 12)
Previously untranslated into English this novel from the 60’s is translated by Margaret Jull Costa with an introduction from Kate Zambreno. I don’t think I need to hear anymore to be excited for this one! (NB)
The Cabinet by Un-Su Kim (Oct 12)
Strange and playful and rife with dry, dark humor, these stories center around a catalogue of “symtompers,” or in other words, people who are “showing the symptoms of an evolving species,” who are “both the last humans and the first of a new kind.” For one symptomer, a gingko tree mysteriously grows from his finger, for others, memories can be modified or erased at will. All in all, this collection is wonderfully offbeat, whimsical, and a bit existential! (SM)
Laserwriter II by Tamara Shopsin (Oct 12)
I love everything Tamara Shopsin does, from her illustrations to her pancakes to her brilliant, perfectly rendered books. If you enjoyed her memoir, Arbitrary Stupid Goal, you are likely to adore this, a novel about Tekserve, rich with versimilitude and bottles of Coca-Cola. (ES)
How to Not Be Afraid of Everything by Jane Wong (Oct 12)
What stories can food tell about us? About our histories, our wounds, our allegiances? What does it mean “to love a country that refuses / to look you in the eye[?]” These are questions asked within this collection, which interrogates what it means to grow up in abundance and, at times, excess, just a generation after your family endured through famine, in this case, the Great Leap Forward famine. A truly memorable, evocative collection. (SM)
The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber (Oct 19)
When Aisha’s fisherman father gets lost at sea, she goes to rescue him with the help of a talking cat, meeting several mysterious-to-terrifying creatures along the way. Despite the dangerous and unpredictable journey, she discovers an insatiable taste for adventure within herself. It’s giving Moana vibes, except if Moana was a Hadrami girl from Mombasa, Kenya. This magical realist coming-of-age story just calls to me! (SM)
Angela Davis: An Autobiography by Angela Davis (Oct 19)
For twice as long as I’ve been alive, Angela Davis has been fighting for and visioning the world that I wish to live and love in. I have a lot of faith in the power of autobiographies to affect change, as it was an autobiography that first radicalized me, and it was Angela Davis who helped me put some backing and some necessary context to that fire that was lit then. I know that this new generation is more than ready for this one, so definitely make sure to get this for the young activist in your life! (SM)
Go Home, Ricky! by Gene Kwak (Oct 19)
In Go Home, Ricky!, a half-Native American, half-white semi-pro wrestler who’s never met his father crashes and burns in a career-making match. In the aftermath of that disaster of choreography, Ricky finds his self-made identity in pieces and pursues the hidden truths of his familial past. It promises an exhilarating and tender look at identity and masculinity, breaking the mold of the Classic Great American Semi-Pro Wrestling Novel. (MC)
The Days of Afrekete by Asali Solomon (Oct 19)
Ann Patchett told me this book was wonderful. Do I need to say more? Women at midlife, inspired by Mrs. Dalloway. It’s next on my stack! (ES)
Oh William by Elizabeth Strout (Oct 19)
A new Elizabeth Strout is always a reason to rejoice. (ES)
Monster in the Middle by Tiphanie Yanique (Oct 19)
Tiphanie Yanique is one of my favorites, and the new novel is about love and what we inherit from our families. Love on love on love--all the complications and ambitions and obligations-- for generations. (ES)
At a recent book event Tiphanie said this book is kind of an embodiment of the phrase, ‘when you marry someone, you marry their whole family.’ At its core, this book is about belonging, and the tension between being held and being kept. Delectable (CC)
Dreaming of You by Melissa Lozada-Oliva (Oct 26)
A novel in verse about a young Latinx poet who wants to resurrect the singer Selena. A truly wild ride. (ES)
Sellout by Dan Ozzi (Oct 26)
Sellout chronicles the feeding frenzie that swept punk and hardcore in the 90s and 2000s. I’m especially excited to read the Jawbreaker, At the Drive-In and Against Me! chapters. (MFS)
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows by Ai Weiwei (Nov 2)
Literally could not be more excited for this memoir from one my absolute favorite artists (with cover art designed by himself) built out of the regret of not knowing much of his own father, Ai wrote his memoir to leave behind to “tell my son honestly who I am, what life is like, why freedom is so precious, and why autocracy fears art.” –AP
Chasing Homer by László Krasznahorkai (Nov 2)
Finally Krasznahorkai’s first (and definitely shortest) work is finally translated into English. (NB)
All the Names Given by Raymond Antrobus (Nov 9)
I thoroughly enjoyed Antrobus’ innovative debut collection, The Perseverance, and this new one deals with similar themes around (mis)communication, language, place, as well as the poet’s identity, heritage, and familial ties as a deaf British Jamaican man with connections to various countries. (SM)
Avatar: The Last Airbender Cookbook by Jenny Dorsey (Nov 9)
When I first arrived at college as a young freshman, instead of socializing and meeting new people, as one would expect, I spent the entire orientation week binging Avatar in my dorm. I do not regret it one bit, and never have. There are so many great things about ATLA, and one of them is the many enticing meals featured on the show! This is to say that this cookbook looks amaaaazing. (SM)
Lily King, Five Tuesdays in Winter (11/9)
Lily King’s Writers and Lovers was one of the best books of 2020, and this book--a collection of stories--is one that I’ve been saving like a piece of wedding cake in my freezer, for when I know I really need something perfectly satisfying. (ES)
Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park (Nov 9)
This English language debut by Korean writer, Sang Young Park, follows a queer man named Young navigating loneliness, friendship, and love in Seoul. (SK)
Four Humors by Mina Seckin (Nov 9)
1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones (Nov 16)
Nikole Hannah-Jones is the historian of our times and this work is legendary. Listen to the podcast first and then follow it up with this masterful written work. There is also a children’s picture book coming out too, with beautiful illustrations. (CC)
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett (Nov 23)
Ann, my sister and hero, is so good at writing essays that it makes me think she can probably speak fourteen languages and also fly. Her powers of observation and crystalline understanding of human emotion is perpetually mind-blowing to me, and keeps me kneeling at her feet. All hail Queen Ann. (ES)
Aftermath ( Undelivered Lectures ) by Preti Taneja (Nov 23)
Not going to lie, this one seems intense. Preti Taneja’s, author of We That Are Young, looks into the 2019 London Bridge killings. As Transit Books says, “Blurring genre and form, Aftermath is a profound attempt to regain trust after violence and to recapture a politics of hope through a determined dream of abolition.” This is going to be a very important book. (NB)
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw (Dec 7)
Disappearances are not uncommon in Pastoral, a reclusive community founded in the 1970s. But when a children’s book author is the latest to disappear, Travis Wren, a person with a great talent for finding missing people, decides to investigate what happened to this author...only to disappear himself. Years later, a lifelong Pastoral resident begins to unravel the secrets of these disappearances. (LH)
Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades (Jan 4)
This is my favorite book of the year so far--an absolutely astonishing debut, told in the 1st person plural. A love song to teenage girlhood in Queens.I loved every page. Just spectacular. (ES)
I Am Golden by Eva Chen (Jan 4)
At the heart of I Am Golden by Eva Chen is a message about self-love for Chinese American children, something that I wish dearly I’d had growing up; and past that, it is a really heartwarming book for the present moment, especially as Asian American kids witness the anti-Asian sentiment that rose up in the wake of Covid. The illustrations are as beautiful and evocative as the message written on each page. (MC)
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho (Jan 4)
This slim novel is about two Asian-American friends over decades, warm and pleasurable. A fabulous debut. (ES)
The Maid by Nita Prose (Jan 4)
I think this is the first cozy I’ve ever read! It’s a murder mystery that takes place in a hotel, told from the point of view of a quirky maid who is committed to her job. It’s great fun and you’ll breeze right through. (MFS)
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xohitl Gonzalez (Jan 11)
This debut novel is what the Jennifer Lopez rom-com The Wedding Planner should have been-- about a smart, funny, and tough Puerto Rican wedding planner in Brooklyn, and her complicated family and love life, this book moves along at a quick pace but not at the price of its characters’ depth. I loved it! (ES)
Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby (Jan 11)
“Margaret Atwood meets Buffy” Hell yeah! This spicy lil story collection is a riot to read, you can tell the author had some fun writing it. Here, women take revenge on their harassers, a clairvoyant Trojan princess withholds her visions from the men of Troy, and a woman receives unknown calls from the men another woman gives a fake number to, among many other uncanny and comedic storylines. (SM)
Lost and Found by Kathryn Schulz (Jan 11)
This memoir is about finding love and losing a parent at the same time, and Schulz is a magnificent writer. (ES)
Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson (Jan 11)
A mysterious, tricky little slip of a novel about art and storytelling. Absolutely delicious. (ES)
I’m about halfway through this new novel by Antoine Wilson and I’m at the edge of my seat. It’s a tense tale of obsession and I’m really excited to see where it leads. (MFS)
Violeta by Isabel Allende (Jan 25)
Violeta Del Valle’s life spans one hundred years. In this novel, she writes the story of her life in a letter to a loved one, highlighting some of the most important events from the past century. Isabel Allende is a master storyteller and an author who should be on everyone’s to-read list! (LH)
Seasons of Purgatory by Shahriar Mandanipour (Jan 25)
Translated from the original Persian are these smart and dynamic stories from the acclaimed, exiled Iranian author, Shahriar Mandanipour. Textured, intricate, and thought-provoking with a touch of mystery and a pinch of poetry—just what I like from a story collection! (SM)
Reclaim The Stars - 17 Tales across realms and space edited by Zoraida Cordova (Feb 15)
If you know Books Are Magic, you know we appreciate a great collection - when authors unite, it truly is magic. Reclaim the Stars has all the magic we need in life: Latin American diaspora stories taking place in fantastical lands - from warrior princesses in space to haunting ghosts in Argentina. (JI)
Pure Colour by Sheila Heti (Feb 15)
I could not be more excited for a new Sheila Heti that imagines this failing world as simply the first draft, posing philosophical, transcendental, and spiritual questions about our existence on Earth. I’ve always wanted to know what life would be like as a plant and I can’t think of a better writer to take me there. (CC)
