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Landing in Place: A Graphic Novel by Sherine Hamdy

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Landing in Place: A Graphic Novel by Sherine Hamdy
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A longer graphic novel with an incredibly poignant story about discovering who you are & using your voice. With themes of identity, being “Muslim enough,” familial expectation, alongside the realities of colonialism, genocide, and Eurocentric ideals. A family story, a coming-of-age story. This book did so much so well.

Landing in Place: A Graphic Novel by Sherine Hamdy, (List Price: $25.99, Kokila, 9780735229440, May 2026)

Reviewed by Morgan, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward

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On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward
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As I was reading this, I felt like I needed to get the word “respair” tattooed on my body. That’s how deeply this collection affected me. The essays all felt different from one another, yet connected through themes of grief, resilience, survival, and healing. What stayed with me most was how each essay gave me something different to sit with — some left me heartbroken, some reflective, and some unexpectedly hopeful.

On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward, (List Price: $29, Scribner, 9781668064269, May 2026)

Reviewed by Jess, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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Coyoteland by Vanessa Hua

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Coyoteland by Vanessa Hua
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If you love a character-driven suburban drama, Coyoteland delivers with a timely, pandemic-era story full of urgency and relevance. Each character is navigating something big — family conflict, economic pressure, systemic bias — creating a web of tension that feels very of-the-moment. Thoughtful, messy, and compelling, it’s a novel that tackles a lot and does it well.

Coyoteland by Vanessa Hua, (List Price: $28.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250395511, May 2026)

Reviewed by Jamie, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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Make Believe by Mac Barnett

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Make Believe by Mac Barnett
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If any book should be required reading for booksellers, librarians, and educators, this is it. Abandon your preconceived notions of what children’s books should be, and let Mac Barnett remind you how magical they can be. This message comes at the perfect time and makes a lovely gift for people who want to spread the joy of reading to all ages.

Make Believe by Mac Barnett, (List Price: $20, Little, Brown and Company, 9780316601122, May 2026)

Reviewed by Becca, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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Names Have Been Changed by Yu-Mei Balasingamchow

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Names Have Been Changed by Yu-Mei Balasingamchow
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Names Have Been Changed unfolds through a first-person podcast confession during the 2020 shutdown, as a woman calling herself Ophir recounts a decade-old crime and her years on the run across the globe. Moving from Singapore to cities around the world, her story is as compelling as it is unsettling, drawing you into her choices and their consequences. She’s a fascinatingly messy protagonist — part anti-hero, part adversary, part spoiled and sympathetic — the kind you may not like but can’t stop listening to.

Names Have Been Changed by Yu-Mei Balasingamchow, (List Price: $30, Tiny Reparations Books, 9798217176595, June 2026)

Reviewed by Jamie, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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All That Chandni Knows by Khushboo Patel

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All That Chandni Knows by Khushboo Patel
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I truly love a good novel written in verse, and this one is no exception. Chandni’s character carries the burden of a deep secret that she shouldn’t even have to carry. The emotional depth shines as she balances the weight of this secret and the everyday issues of being a middle schooler. Filled with honesty and heart, a great read.

All That Chandni Knows by Khushboo Patel, (List Price: $18.99, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 9798217004485, March 2026)

Reviewed by Jess, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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A Pack of Your Own by Maria Nilsson Thore

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A Pack of Your Own by Maria Nilsson Thore
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This heartfelt story made for kids can easily deeply resonate with anyone who has ever felt out of place or alone. It beautifully captures the longing to find a friend, especially when you don’t quite fit into the spaces around you. It’s sweet, comforting, and visually delightful.

A Pack of Your Own by Maria Nilsson Thore, (List Price: $10.99, Pushkin Children’s Books, 9781782695325, March 2026)

Reviewed by Jess, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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American Han by Lisa Lee

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American Han by Lisa Lee
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Each chapter of American Han gives readers a window into the lives of the Kim family and their personal search for the American Dream. A story of family and obligation, personal happiness societal expectations, and the immigrant experience in America, Lisa Lee gives readers a lot to think and talk about. A much-needed book!

American Han by Lisa Lee, (List Price: $29, Algonquin Books, 9781643757254, March 2026)

Reviewed by Beth, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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Stalactite & Stalagmite by Drew Beckmeyer

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Stalactite & Stalagmite by Drew Beckmeyer
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A fun way for kids to learn about nature and the passage of time. Not a subject that is written about a lot for kids, but this not only talks about geology, but also talks about evolution and great correlation for how long it takes for any change to take place in any environment.

Stalactite & Stalagmite by Drew Beckmeyer, (List Price: $19.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781665926638, March 2025)

Reviewed by Jamie, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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Blue Opening by Chet’la Sebree

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Blue Opening by Chet'la Sebree
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This stunning poetry collection centers around the author’s fascination with beginnings. She fearlessly delves into the mystery of bodies, particularly women’s bodies. My favorite section is the heroic sonnet crown, where each sonnet’s subject is one of the author’s female ancestors. I also love the use of footnotes here; they make these passages feel even more like verses in scripture.

Blue Opening by Chet’la Sebree, (List Price: $18, Tin House, 9781963108460, September 2025)

Reviewed by Becca, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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The Intentions of Thunder by Patricia Smith

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The Intentions of Thunder by Patricia Smith
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This collection is so incredibly expansive, not only in the range of the time period Smith is writing but also in her topics, ranging from her experience being a black woman, police brutality, the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, and growing up with Motown as an ever-present current in her life. These poems are fire, are urgent, are playful, and will stick with you long after reading.

The Intentions of Thunder by Patricia Smith, (List Price: $30, Scribner, 9781668055724, September 2025)

Reviewed by Morgan, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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Moonbound by Robin Sloan

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Moonbound by Robin Sloan
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Readers, brace yourself for a journey 13,000 years into the future, where the destiny of the world rests upon the shoulders of a young boy called to fulfill his destiny, but ultimately takes matters into his own hands. Moonbound feels both timeless and completely new in a way that only Robin Sloan could deliver.

Moonbound by Robin Sloan, (List Price: $19, Picador, 9781250390509, June 2025)

Reviewed by Beth, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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Selma–The Story of a Stellar Spider by Tini Malina

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Selma–The Story of a Stellar Spider by Tini Malina
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I LOVED this book! This book is a perfect reminder that you can do anything you put your mind to! Even being the first spider to make a web in outer space!

Selma–The Story of a Stellar Spider by Tini Malina, (List Price: $19.95, NorthSouth Books, 9780735846067, March 2026)

Reviewed by Sarah, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

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A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
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Honey, the land!” No spoilers, but Simone St. James has really outdone herself with this twisty supernatural mystery/thriller. Every overturned stone along the plot’s path is captivating, and I never wanted to put it down. I love the sibling dynamics as they return to their haunted childhood home in search of answers regarding their little brother, who went missing at just 6 years old. The Broken Girls may still be my favorite, but this is a very close second.

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James, (List Price: $30, Berkley, 9780593200414, January 2026)

Reviewed by Jenny Ford, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin

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The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin
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Dusapin’s novel depicts the heavy silence that has fallen between two sisters who love and understand each other but who can no longer connect. The characters struggle to find peace with their life choices and roles in one another’s lives. The Old Fire questions how an individual is defined by place, family, loss, and abandonment and how those definitions can impede growth and happiness. A quiet novel whose impact on the reader is anything but quiet.

The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin, (List Price: $27, S&S/Summit Books, 9781668212219, January 2026)

Reviewed by Lera Shawver, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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