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What Is Queer Food? by John Birdsall

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What Is Queer Food? by John Birdsall
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John Birdsall is the winner of two James Beard awards for food and culture writing and the author of The Many Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard (which I also devoured!!). Focused on the European and American food scenes starting in the late 19th century. Birdsall deftly combines food writing and cultural history in this book he was born to write. Swinging by the tables of Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Alice B. Toklas, and others, we are shown the intersections between fashion, music, art, and food. It’s deliciously dishy, but also deeply substantive. If I could give Michelin stars to a book, I would give this 3 stars! (That’s the most you can give, btw).

What Is Queer Food? by John Birdsall, (List Price: $29.99, W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324073796, June 2025)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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This is a good old-fashioned “I need to stay up late reading and see what happens” romance! This second-chance story, inspired by the author’s own expat journey, follows Dani, an adrift American, as she tries to get her bearings in Amsterdam following a messy breakup. As she struggles to prove to her family (and herself) that she can handle her new adventure, a long-lost first love appears to provide some solutions. Can she put her resentments for her first heartbreak aside and be civil long enough to find her purpose? Can he? Tension! Tulips! So bingeable and wanderlust-inspiring!

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon, (List Price: $19, Berkley, 9780593548554, May 2025)

Reviewed by Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Day the Crayons Made Friends by Drew Daywalt

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The Day the Crayons Made Friends by Drew Daywalt
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Welcome back, crayons, except… they are gone! Our story begins with an empty crayon box, no wax left in sight, and no sign of where they went—until we start getting letters from our colorful friends and the new adventures they have embarked on. From living out dreams of being a firefighter to becoming a board game piece or even finding your long-lost twin, the crayons have again taken over my heart with the friends they just can’t wait to tell us about. Dare I say best crayons book yet, get ready to obsess over these guys!

The Day the Crayons Made Friends by Drew Daywalt, (List Price: $19.99, Philomel Books, 9780593622360, June 2025)

Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Poetry Is Not a Luxury by Anonymous

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Poetry Is Not a Luxury by Anonymous
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This is the kind of poetry collection you keep tucked in your pocket for when you need it–a poem a day keeps the dread about societal collapse away! Curated by the Instagram account of the same name (an Audre Lorde quote), Poetry Is Not a Luxury is a lovely, intentional anthology of poems divided by season, diverse in form and theme, featuring pretty much every poet I’ve ever studied and/or admired. These compact, comforting poems are accessible but substantial. I can see myself revisiting this book many times, when in need of a little inspiration!

Poetry Is Not a Luxury by Anonymous, (List Price: $24, Washington Square Press, 9781668062555, May 2025)

Reviewed by Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Fishwife Cookbook by Becca Millstein

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The Fishwife Cookbook by Becca Millstein
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If you’ve been to a specialty grocery store in the last few years, you’ve surely seen these charming tins glittering from the canned foods aisle. Founded in 2020, Fishwife sought to glamorize the pantry staples of tuna and sardines. Now, they’re sharing how to take these versatile, shelf-stable products to the next level with indulgent, European (with a few Asian) inspired, veggie-packed recipes. Simple, delectable snacks and dips, self-care inspired meals for one, and extravagant summery salads populate this whimsical book, peppered with adorable maximalist illustrations and mouthwatering photos! So many pastas I’m dying to try!

The Fishwife Cookbook by Becca Millstein, (List Price: $30, Harvest, 9780063382527, February 2025

Reviewed by Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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I Dream of Joni by Henry Alford

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I Dream of Joni by Henry Alford
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A VIP at Simon & Schuster gave me a preview copy of this book. I put out my hand to take it as if I were being handed a live spider. An aging punk rocker, reading an entire book on the singer/songwriter was not my idea of a good time. I read it on the train returning from New York. What a fantastic book!!!! What an education in trailblazing feminism! With lots of sex, drugs, and a constant parade of celebrities to keep you entertained. Lively and irreverent, it’s a tribute without fawning. I want to read everything Henry Alford has written now!

I Dream of Joni by Henry Alford, (List Price: $29.99, Gallery Books, 9781668019504, January 2025)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

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Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
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Even before To All The Boys I Loved Before, I’m a sucker for a fake dating story – add in two young, queer brown women and I was hooked from the outset! Hani’s popular and happy, but her two best (white Irish) friends don’t really understand any part of her – not her obligations to the local Bengali community, her Muslim faith, and, most recently, her bisexuality, telling her she can’t be bi if they’ve never seen her with a girl. Ishu, the only other Bengali student at the school, is closeted, doesn’t have many friends, and worries people find her unapproachable. Even though they barely know each other, they hatch a fake relationship plot to convince people around them that they’re really bi and possibly likable, respectively – but find out that being with somebody who makes an effort to understand you is pretty wonderful! I adored this book: its Irish charm, its Bengali cultural specificity without falling into a single character type, its tackling of toxic friendship and racial gaslighting, and a satisfying ending on several different fronts make this an easy rec for lovers of fluffy YA!

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar, (List Price: $11.99, Page Street YA, 9781645677543, May 2023)

Reviewed by Akil Guruparan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen

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Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet by Samantha Allen
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Hollywood It Man Roland Rogers is ready to tell his big secret with no time to spare. He isn’t quite dead yet – but it’s not looking good. With the minimal power he can get from his home intercom system, he hires struggling writer Adam to bring new meaning to the term “ghostwriter” and get his memoir out before he is gone completely. As they rush to get it all done in a month, sparks fly, and Walls come down. This is very different from Allen’s first novel (which I also love), but it’s just as good. Fair warning – THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE.

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen, (List Price: $18, Zando, 9781638931539, December 2024)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Trigger Kitchen by Emma Myles

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The Trigger Kitchen by Emma Myles
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You may remember Emma Myles from her three-time Screen Actor’s Guild award-winning role as Leanne Taylor on Orange is the New Black. Turns out she’s not just a great actor but also an activist, fantastic food writer, and recipe developer. Inventive, easy-to-approach dishes with global influences fill these pages. What makes this cookbook pop for me is the sincere and sharp writing in the preface and introductions to each yummy offering. It’s food for the heart and the soul.

The Trigger Kitchen by Emma Myles, (List Price: $23.99, Page Street Publishing, 9798890031266, December 2024)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Bert, the Bowerbird by Julia Donaldson

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Bert, the Bowerbird by Julia Donaldson
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Bert the Bowerbird is just the sweetest little guy. All he wants is a wife to share his bower with. But Annette, the bird he’s set his sights on, is demanding, and never satisfied with Bert’s efforts to win her affection. He journeys far and wide to find more offerings for Annette, but always ends up hurt by her lack of interest. Can Bert find a bird who loves him for who he is? With adorable rhymes from Julia Donaldson (author of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom) and gorgeous illustrations by Catherine Rayner, Bert, the Bowerbird is a wonderful tale of bird-based romance and self-acceptance. Don’t settle, Bert!!!

Bert, the Bowerbird by Julia Donaldson, (List Price: $18.99, Boxer Books, 9781915801845, December 2024)

Reviewed by Charlie Marks, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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On the Calculation of Volume (Book I) by Solvej Balle

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On the Calculation of Volume (Book I) by Solvej Balle
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The first book in Solvej Balle’s brilliant (and forthcoming in English) septology On the Calculation of Volume is, in a word, stunning. Following the day-to-day minutia of a woman continually reliving the 18th of November, Balle finds the beauty and torment in repetition and recursion and revision. In all honesty, nothing actually happens in this book. But that doesn’t matter. Balle’s writing turns the reader into a balloon hitting a powerline—bright, weightless, fluorescent until the shock comes. An absolutely stunning piece of fiction.

On the Calculation of Volume (Book I) by Solvej Balle, (List Price: $15.95, New Directions, 9780811237253, November 2024)

Reviewed by Charlie Marks, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón

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In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón
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U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón and acclaimed illustrator Peter Sís have joined forces to craft one of the most impactful children’s books I’ve read all year. In Praise of Mystery started as a poem from Limón that will be inscribed onto NASA’s newest spacecraft, planning to orbit Jupiter and its moons in the Fall of 2024. Translated onto the page, the poem becomes a story of hope and guidance, teaching the reader to accept and invite the unknown rather than fear it. At times prayer-esque, the love and comfort surrounding this story, paired with gorgeous sketches, will make this a bedtime staple. Timeless and transcendent, Limón’s venture into children’s literature, paired with Sís’ illustrations will be cherished for generations to come.

In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón, (List Price: $18.99, Norton Young Readers, 9781324054009, October 2024)

Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Furyborn by Claire Legrand

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Furyborn by Claire Legrand
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This book is full of my favorite kind of character- strong, stubborn, and super-flawed. Told alternately, Furyborn is about two women separated by time but full of magic, fury and secrets and a connection that becomes clearer as the story unfolds. The wait for the next book in the series is going to be torture, but I’ll endure!

Furyborn by Claire Legrand, (List Price: $18.99, Sourcebooks Fire, 9781492656623, May 2018)

Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Camarillo Gonzalez James

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The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Camarillo Gonzalez James
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Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel Marcia Marquez in a multi-generational novel about ancestral crimes on the Texas border. It took no time at all for me to know The Bullet Swallower was going to be one of the first books I picked up for 2024. In two separate times we follow both the odyssey of the bandit Antonio Solero, scion of a cursed mine owner born with literal gold in his eyes, and his descendent Jaime, one of Mexico’s most recognizable actors of the 20th century who must uncover the cosmic truths of his family’s violent past. Elizabeth Gonzalez Jones’s prose is glittering with beauty and stagecraft while still packed with action.

The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Camarillo Gonzalez James, (List Price: $26.99, Simon & Schuster, 9781668009321, January 2024)

Reviewed by Amanda Depperschmidt, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Manboobs by Komail Aijazuddin

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Manboobs by Komail Aijazuddin
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I am overjoyed to share Manboobsby Komail Aijazuddin with our customers! This memoir by a gay Pakistani man is fierce, funny, and flawless. Examining hyphenated identity from several angles, Aijuzuddin explores art, immigration, racism, body dysmorphia, self-acceptance, and so much more. I started laughing the moment I read the first page and cried at the end. Loved every moment of it!

Manboobs by Komail Aijazuddin, (List Price: $27, Abrams Press, 9781419773846, August 2024)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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