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In a time where influencers are more prominent now than ever, you will love this novel that goes behind the scenes of a tradwife named Natalie who finds herself thrust from her Instagramable life into an alternate timeline (pun intended) where she does not fully recognize her family or any aspect of her farmlife. Her carefully curated life is uprooted very suddenly, and you will #lol at Natalie’s plight. This debut novel has a lot of heart, humor, and social commentary, and I expect it to be big. Don’t miss out!

Yesteryear by Caro, (List Price: $30, Knopf, 9780593804216, April 2026)

Reviewed by Annastasia Williams, The Bottom in Knoxville, TN

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JFC. If we can’t add a new subgenre JUST for Lauren Groff’s signature style — lushly grim and invigoratingly desolate — maybe I’d best acknowledge the teeny new chamber in my book lovin’ heart that Matrix, The Vaster Wilds and now Brawler have come to inhabit. I didn’t think I could handle bleak, but in her capable hands? “Under the Wave” is the best short story I’ve ever read. Within two paragraphs of beginning “The Wind” (and hence the collection), I was *there* and terrified. I haven’t even read the last two stories yet. Stay tuned.

Brawler by Lauren Groff, (List Price: $29, Riverhead Books, 9780593418420, February 2026)

Reviewed by Kat, novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

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What a fantastic fantasy debut. This book pulled out my heart and left me in a pool of my own anger, disbelief, and pure enjoyment. Rage, passion, and love are the core of this book. We follow Aicha and her loved ones and get to see how far she is willing to go for what she believes to be right. Rebel forces, family bonds, colonialism, and demons lurking in corners. Aicha will be a book that they talk about for years to come.

Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui, (List Price: $18.99, Orbit, 9780316582018, March 2026)

Reviewed by Mekhala, Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, FL

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To call this an essential text when it comes to explaining and educating people on the present Palestine conflict would be an understatement. Isabella Hammad’s impeccably done Recognizing the Stranger takes the issue head-on but in a much more nuanced, and possibly more effective way than most. The first half of the book is the commencement speech Hammad gave at Columbia a week before the October 7th attacks, with the last 20 pages being an afterword titled On Gaza. Hammad’s crisp, concise, and accessible writing gives any reader a better understanding of tragedy as a whole. I will be thinking about this afterword and Hammad’s voice for many, many years to come, absolutely breathtaking and essential for our time.

Recognizing the Stranger by Isabella Hammad, (List Price: $18, Grove Press, Black Cat, 9780802163929, September 2024)

Reviewed by Grace, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA

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An unforgettable memoir of a woman who grew up in Pakistan under terrible conditions and now lives in Britain; she has a way of looking at places and nature and, through talking about them, finding a way to heal and feel whole.

A Flat Place by Noreen Masud, (List Price: $19.99, Melville House, 9781685890247, June 2023)

Reviewed by Jamie, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC

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Haleh Liza Fafori’s translation of 57 poems from Rumi, a poet from the 13th century. The themes are very timely, focusing on materialism versus love, spiritual, and moral growth. I think a few excepts show the depth that is available in this book…. “Criminal to let clouds hide you. Unveil your face and brighten our dim world”…. “If Love’s wine hasn’t seeped into your skull by then, go to the kitchen in Love’s house and lick the plates lovers left behind”.

Water by Rumi, (List Price: $14.95, NYRB Classics, 9781681379166, April 2025)

Reviewed by Jim, Sundog Books in Santa Rosa Beach, FL

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A love letter to a people and place we see far too little of in books and media. It is time for more books like Hannah’s to teach us about Palestinians and their beautiful culture. I fell in love with the family in this book and the stories they share, and I know the littles in your world will too. This book is not just a teaching tool; it is an entertaining and heartwarming story.

Homeland by Hannah Moushabeck, (List Price: $18.99, Chronicle Books, 9781797202051, March 2023)

Reviewed by Rayna, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, LA

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Where I Grew is a love letter and celebration of the immigrant story, and how we come to the places we call home for generations. Poetry-esque writing dances across the pages, coupled with illustrations of the sunsets, seas, and plains you may cross to find yourself at your new home. Deeply tender and gentle, and absolutely essential for our current time and for years to come.

Where I Grew by Jashar Awan, (List Price: $18.99, Norton Young Readers, 9781324016618, March 2026)

Reviewed by Grace, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA

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12 year-old Leo joins the first moon colony. Exciting! Until his father disappears and Leo sets out to find him, encountering shocking surprises on the way. What if everything he’s been told about the moon is a lie?

Life on the Moon by Matthew Swanson, (List Price: $17.99, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 9780593704721, April 2026)

Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN