Indies Introduce Winter/Spring 2022 Titles

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Fiction

  • Brown Girls, Daphne Palasi Andreades
    Random House, 9780593243428, January 4, 2022 (Fiction)

    Brown Girls is a lyrical novel written with as much force as your typical epic novel. It’s a beautiful love letter to friendship, Queens (NYC), and what it means to navigate this world as a brown girl. It will make you think of your childhood friends, and after reading you’ll find yourself wanting to reach out to those friends you miss so much.”

    —Rosa Hernandez, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • Olga Dies Dreaming, Xochitl Gonzalez
    Flatiron Books, 9781250786173, January 11, 2022 (Fiction)

    “Get ready to root for Olga! I absolutely loved this book. It beautifully captures the Puerto Rican experience with humor and bravery. It felt like home and when a book feels like home, I can't help but invite everyone over.”

    —Rosa Hernandez, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • Peach Blossom Spring, Melissa Fu
    Little, Brown and Company, 9780316286732, March 15, 2022 (Fiction)

    “An epic novel that spans decades and continents, starting in China in 1938 and going through  modern-day U.S. We follow Meilin and Renshu as they flee China, seeking refuge and trying to survive. Decades later, Renshu’s daughter, Lily, wants to know her family history — to know who she is by finding out where she comes from. A beautifully written, arching story that wraps you up and whisks you away.”

    —Katrina Bright-Yerges, Books & Company, Ocomonowoc, WI
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • Reptile Memoirs, Silje Ulstein, Alison McCullough (Transl.)
    Grove Press, 9780802158864, March 15, 2022 (Fiction)

    “Literary mystery with a fresh twist — one of the characters is a huge Python whose P.O.V. is devoid of all emotion, ‘cause, hey — it's a snake. This dark tale of deceit, betrayal, and mayhem is from start to finish a can’t-put-down-read. Complex characters and fantastic plot make for a creepy yet oh-so-satisfying read set in Norway.”

    —BJ Hegedus, Postalworks Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • The Sign for Home, Blair Fell
    Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 9781982175955, April 5, 2022 (Fiction)

    “Fresh, funny, and big-hearted, The Sign for Home is a sparkling debut guaranteed to keep you turning pages as you follow Arlo Dilly (a DeafBlind Jehovah’s Witness) and his ragtag band of misfit friends on their quest to find the love of Arlo’s life. It is a coming-of-age story like no other, full of humor, drama, and all of the highs and lows of a young man whose world is just beginning to expand.”

    —Rebecca Speas, One More Page Books, Arlington, VA
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • The Immortal King Rao, Vauhini Vara
    Norton, 9780393541755, May 3, 2022 (Fiction)

    “Mind-blowing, epic, and full of love, this speculative and historical fiction novel (what a combination!) is for fans of Battlestar Galactica and The MaddAddam Trilogy. The world Vara has built here unfolds slowly but coalesces in a complete and believable alternative reality where technology and capitalism stand in for humanity and democracy. I love the background of King Rao and his family coconut farm in India, and how the history of his ancestors blends with the dystopian science fiction of his, and his family’s, future. This is a phenomenal debut that will pull you in and make you think. I loved it!”

    —Samantha Kolber, Bear Pond Books, Montpelier, VT
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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Non-Fiction

  • High-Risk Homosexual: A Memoir, Edgar Gomez
    Soft Skull, 9781593767051, January 11, 2022 (Non-Fiction)

    High-Risk Homosexual by Edgar Gomez has my heart! This memoir is hilarious! But it is also a poignant and searing examination of machismo culture in the Latinx community. Gomez dissects the gender dynamics within Latinx families, speaks with honesty and vulnerability about queerness, and what it means to flip those power structures that seem difficult to break. Yet he also writes about the joy at the intersections and ultimately this memoir is a celebration of what it means to be gay and Latinx. If you love Samantha Irby, then High-Risk Homosexual is your next read! It’s thoughtful while still making you LOL.”

    —Michelle Malonzo, Changing Hands, Tempe, AZ
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • In the Shadow of the Mountain: A Memoir of Courage, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado
    Henry Holt and Co., 9781250776747, February 1, 2022 (Non-Fiction)

    “This story moved me to tears in every chapter. It is heart-wrenching and well-written, sad and dark and also light and beautiful, and full of shadows the author is courageous enough not only to walk through, but to become. Silvia does not conquer her fears, or conquer Everest; she ascends and becomes at peace in these shadows, in these narrow paths, in the pain of climbing and the pain of living. I loved the feminine point of view of climbing Everest. The way she gives homage to prayers and the power of women. It's just an all-around fantastic memoir.”

    —Samantha Kolber, Bear Pond Books, Montpelier, VT
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk, Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe
    Counterpoint Press, 9781640094147, March 8, 2022 (Non-Fiction)

    Red Paint is an ode to Indigenous legacy; to the punk-rock scene; to the self; to the legacy of trauma and the power of rebuilding; to the ancestral wisdom of those who have lived before; and to the strength inherent in us. Told through poetic prose, LaPointe guides readers through an exploration of her ancestral roots and present struggles of self, all while relaying the historical echos of colonialism and genocide in the present for Indigenous communities. Haunting and powerful, LaPointe’s intersectional memoir tells of lineage, healing, and hope.”

    —Clancey D’Isa, Seminary Co-op Bookstores, Chicago, IL
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • Thin Places, Kerri ní Dochartaigh
    Milkweed Editions, 9781571311955, April 12, 2022 (Non-Fiction)

    “An absolute gem of a book. Part biography and part natural history, it’s wonderfully told, giving one a palpable sense of place as well as the history of Ireland through a prism of the natural world. Fans of Robert Macfarlane and Aimee Nezhukumatathil will be right at home.”

    —Cody Morrison, Square Books, Oxford, MS
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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Middle Grade

  • Hide and Geek, T. P. Jagger
    Random House Books for Young Readers, 9780593377932, January 4, 2022 (Middle Grade)

    “I loved this book! With treasure, puzzles, and the cutest (and most awesome) friend group I’ve seen in a loooong time this book is an absolute winner. GEEKs rule!”

    —Cliff Helm, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • The Way I Say It, Nancy Tandon
    Charlesbridge, 9781623541330, January 18, 2022 (Middle Grade)

    “Rory’s inability to pronounce the letter R leads to being a target for bullies. A clever speech therapist introduces Rory to Muhammad Ali and the fighter’s chants give him courage and help him improve his speech a little at a time. Sensitive, engaging, realistic story with characters that ring true to life as a sixth grader.”

    —Shirley Mullin, Kids Ink Children’s Bookstore, Indianapolis, IN
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms, Jamar J. Perry
    Bloomsbury Children's Books, 9781547606948, February 1, 2022 (Middle Grade)

    Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms is a truly special book. I can’t wait for young readers to explore Chidani and discover just how magical and extraordinary they are!”

    —Isabella Ogbolumani, Buffalo Street Books, Ithaca, NY
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • A Comb of Wishes, Lisa Stringfellow
    Quill Tree Books, 9780063043435, February 8, 2022 (Middle Grade)

    “A wonderfully told tale of family, friendship, grief, and longing. A Comb of Wishes explores what happens when legend and real life meet. When a powerful mermaid is determined to reclaim what is rightfully hers, Kela begins her journey to discover what really happens when you get the one thing you most want in the world.”

    —Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers, Greenville, SC
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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Young Adult

  • What We Harvest, Ann Fraistat
    Delacorte Press, 9780593382165, March 22, 2022 (Young Adult)

    Wilder Girls’ successor is finally here — and it’s eerier and more atmospheric than any reader could hope for! Filled with iridescent wheat, bioluminescent melons, and a mercury-esque blight, Hollow’s End is the perfect setting for impending doom. Fraistat’s debut highlights both the comforts and horrors of small towns, old families, and the secrets they bury.”

    —Laura Graveline, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • A Magic Steeped in Poison, Judy I. Lin
    Feiwel & Friends, 9781250767080, March 22, 2022 (Young Adult)

    “Imperial intrigue, a royal contest, secrets, and death weave together to flavor a heady brew to be savored. The secret art of the shénnóng-shi wafts through this beautiful tale of Ning as she works to free her father and save her sister from a sinister poison plot. It’s a story of grief, hope, love, and finding your own magic.”

    —Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers, Greenville, SC
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • Love Radio, Ebony LaDelle
    Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665908153, May 31, 2022 (Young Adult)

    “OMG! I instantly fell in love with this book from the first page. I love Prince, and the influence he has on his friend group. We need more Princes in the world. Honestly I could say so much more about it, but do yourself a favor and just read it. I literally hugged this book when I finished it. So, so good!”

    —Melanie Knight, Books Inc., Berkeley, CA
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • Hell Followed With Us, Andrew Joseph White
    Peachtree Teen, 9781682633243, June 7, 2022 (Young Adult)

    Hell Followed With Us is a utopian model for queer community masquerading as a dystopian YA novel. Andrew Joseph White has dared to create a story where queer kids of all stripes love, fight alongside, and care for each other despite their personal differences, the hellish world outside, and the myriad of things looking to kill them. It is as beautiful as it is hard to read. This is what horror can and should be.”

    —Cliff Helm, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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Young Adult Non-Fiction

  • And We Rise, Erica Martin
    Viking Books for Young Readers, 9780593352526, February 1, 2022 (Young Adult Non-Fiction)

    “This is a beautiful history of the Civil Rights Movement for young adult readers where the art and form of the printed work tells as much about the movement as the poetry. A stunning read for all ages!”

    —Casey Gerken, Innisfree Bookshop, Meredith, NH
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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  • Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese-American, Laura Gao
    Balzer + Bray, 9780063067769 / 9780063067776, February 15, 2022 (Young Adult Non-Fiction)

    “Laura Gao spent her early childhood in Wuhan, China, and then immigrates to Texas where everything feels foreign and different. Their story is a coming of age story about finding their true selves while balancing two identities. This graphic memoir is beautifully illustrated, funny, and insightful.”

    —Shoshonna Roberts, Maggie Mae’s Kids Bookshop, Gresham, OR
    Additional blurb(s) available here


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