Linda's Kid Pick: Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

"Think about coming  home from school, about the walks, the bus rides, the dramas that occurred  in those short times. I bet a fair number of your school stories stem from those times. Jason Reynolds brilliantly, beautifully, and with that soul of truth that shines through his characters gives us a picture of a neighborhood, of a childhood, and in it's hilarious and poignant realities, pending adulthood." -Linda

Linda's Young Adult Pick: Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

"To come of age in America often means bridging the gap between where we come from, where our families come from, and where we have grown up.  For Jay Reguero, the Philippines is a place of distant family, a place his father left to "give us a better life," but when Jay's cousin Jun dies in mysterious circumstances, Jay returns to the Philippines to uncover the facts of his death. Beautifully told, this is a story of connection, love, and growing up that all of us, no matter where we come of age, should read." - Linda

Buy your copy here.

Elisa's Pick: In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

"I found myself completely transfixed from the first 

page. Machado cuts herself open and pours herself out in this genre-defying memoir. Delving deep into the murky waters of domestic abuse, with care and style, she brings the reader into the inner-most parts of her personal experience. This book explores a far too examined reality of abuse in queer relationships." - Elisa

Steven's Pick: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (1/21/20 release)

"This book has a way of being both incredibly sad, yet exceptionally hopeful. The characters throughout the story show how strong people can be even in the face of extreme brutality. Well written and raw, Jeanine Cummins shows the reality of asylum seekers and the courage they must possess to survive their journey."

Pre-order your copy here.

Karens's Pick: 

The Testamants by Margaert Atwood

"For those wondering if Atwood's sequel to The Handmaid's Tale  stacks up... oh yes, it does. The Testaments  follows three different points of view, fifteen years after Offred's tale. Atwood explores the cult mindset, how easy it is to believe in something when that's all you've ever known, and how difficult it is to break out of it. It's a story of heroism, and of real, messy people rising to the occasion." - Karen

          Buy your copy here.

Cheick's Pick: What Burns by Dale Peck

Through this collection of short stories centered on the struggles of queer men. Peck manages to highlight the issues faced by us all; longing for freedom, coping with familial trauma, failed attempts at intimacy and most common of all lust. Entirely transgressive, yet never exaggerated. The power in these tales isn't in the obious shock of the narratives, but rather in the author's ability to relate the seemingly unrelatable to society at large. - Cheick

         Buy your copy here.

Mystery Book Club: In the Woods by Tana French

As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But three children don't return from the dark and silent woods. Police find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours. Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective investigating a chillingly similar case.

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Miryem, the daughter of an inept moneylender, soon gains a reputation for turning silver to gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk - grim fey creatures - Miryem's fate, will forever be altered. Novik draws readers into this glittering realm of fantasy, where the boundary between wonder and terror is thinner than breath, and safety can be stolen as quickly as a kiss.

Historical Fiction Book Club: The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

"Secrets, sacrifices, and the struggle to survive all make for a highly provocative read. This poignant story about women and their children, thrown together by war and its aftermath, gave me a renewed respect and empathy for their contemporary counterparts caught in the conflict of today's world." - Vivien Jennings (Rainy Day Books, KS) for Indie Next List

Philosophical Horror Book Club:  Confessions by Kanae Minato

Following an accident on the grounds of the middle school where Yuko Moriguchi teaches, Yuko has tendered her resignation. But first she has one last lecture to deliver. With twists you'll never see coming, Confessions probes the limits of punishment, despair, and tragic love, culminating in a harrowing confrontation between teacher and student that will place the occupants of an entire school in danger.

Black Lit Book Club: Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

"A dark and gorgeous song of love and heartbreak, tragic and disorienting in its timelessness. Present and past is made alive by ghosts and everyone suffers from the cancers of buried sins. It's The Odyssey meets the Delta blues meets William Faulkner and Toni Morrison and some ineffable something that is Ward's own magic." - Sara Hinkley (Hudson Booksellers, GA) for Indie Next List

Speculative Fiction Book Club: Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

"Imagine a world where oppression is a thing of the past, completely irradiated along with racism, sexism, and other monsters. This is the world Jam has grown up in. So when a creature arises claiming to be on the hunt for a monster, Jam isn't quite sure what to believe. In their timely young adult debut, Emezi renders an incredible story that deftly takes on the current perils of our world." - Elisa

Buy your copy here.

LGBTQ Book Club: A Queer History of the United States for Young People by Michael Bronksi

Queer history didn't start with Stonewall. This book explores how LGBTQ people have always been part of our national identity, contributing to the country and culture for over 400 years. Through engrossing narratives, letters, drawings, poems, and more, it encourages young readers of all identities to feel pride.

Bucket List Book Club: Kindred by Octavia Butler

Dana, a modern black woman, is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana's life will end. A visionary author's masterpiece exploring the horrors of slavery and impacts of racism.

Phy-Sci Book Club: The Only Woman in the Room by Eileen Pollack 

Based on six years of interviewing her teachers and classmates, as well as dozens of other women who dropped out before completing their degrees in science or found careers less rewarding than they had hoped, Pollack has written a no-holds barred examination of the social, interpersonal, and institutional barriers confronting women-and minorities- in the STEM fields.

              Buy your copy here.

Feminist Book Club: Good and Mad by Rebecca Solnit

"Traister covers a wide scope of social and political change in U.S. history, and how angry women were the catalyst for nearly every movement. From how society has recognized and given a platform to men's anger while demonizing or infantizing women's, to how women of color's anger is received more harshly than white women's, this is an inter-sectional tribute that will leave you fired up." - Karen

Graphic Novel Book Club:  Upgrade Soul by Ezra Claytan Daniels

For their 45th anniversary, Hank and Molly Nonnar decide to undergo an experimental rejuvenation procedure, but their hopes for youth are dashed when the couple is faced with the results: severely disfigured yet intellectually and physically superior duplicates of themselves. Daniels asks probing questions about what shapes our identity - is it the capacity of our minds or the physicality of our bodies?

History Book Club:  The Crusades of Cesar Chavez by Miriam Pawel

Cesar Chavez founded a labor union, launched a movement, and inspired a generation. In the first comprehensive biography of Chavez, Pawel offers a searching yet empathetic portrayal. Drawing on thousands of documents, hundreds of hours of audiotape, and scores of interviews, this superbly written life deepens our understanding of one of Chavez's most salient qualities: his profound humanity.