“Ani Kayode Somtochukwu’s memorable characters and stunning prose broke me, put me back together, and will forever hold a special place in my heart,” said Christine Bollow of Loyalty Bookstores in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, Maryland.
“Intense and hazy, At the Edge of the Woods is a feverishly captivating combination of nature writing and character study. As Laura becomes increasingly connected to the woods around her, the reader can't help but to be drawn into her orbit, to see things the way that she does,” said Mallory Melton of BookPeople in Austin, TX.
“Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a propulsive seafaring adventure that will capture your attention from the first page,” said Thu Doan of East Bay Booksellers in Oakland, California.
“This is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. Imagine Daenerys Targaryen going to Hogwarts, but with more history and care sprinkled throughout the story,” said Jason Jefferies of Explore Booksellers in Aspen, Colorado.
"This is an eye-opening book featuring much-needed disability representation, and I loved the Midwestern nods — ‘save big money at Menards,’ anyone?” said Tory Hall of Chapters Books & Gifts in Seward, Nebraska.
"Despite its difficult moments, Jude Saves the World is pure joy, full of love and support in the face of a parent’s well-intentioned but misguided protection and the ups and downs of friendship,” said Gabriella Crivilare of Prairie Fox Books in Ottawa, Illinois.
"An incredibly immersive, honest, yet YA-appropriate novel based on the real experiences of trafficked young women and those who work to free them,” said Emily Autenrieth of A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove, California.
"This book is the weird and wonderful queer-teen-investigates-money-laundering-bird-cult murder mystery I didn’t realize I was waiting for,” said Rebekah Shoaf of Boogie Down Books in the Bronx, New York.
"Combining Ghanaian pictographs with the grave result of being Black in America, Abimbola honors the victims of police violence,” said Nikita Imafidon of Raven Bookstore in Lawrence, Kansas.
