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The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

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The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry
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Clara Harrington is summoned to England to retrieve the dictionary of her mother’s lost language. The dictionary disappeared, along with her mother, many years ago. Clara’s journey is full of more questions than answers, but she refuses to leave until she uncovers the truth. This is an enchanting novel inspired by a true literary mystery.

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry, (List Price: $29.99, Atria Books, 9781668011874, March 2025)

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

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Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson

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Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson
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I know a family whose surname is Fish, and I have mightily amused them with the science/nature book Why Fish Don’t Exist. They are going to get a kick out of this one too. I love when science facts get presented in such a cheeky way, and the hint at the end that really this entire book may not be written by humans just compounds that mirth.

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, (List Price: $18.99, Dial Books, 9780593616673, April 2025)

Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

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Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
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This may be the most beautifully written book I’ve ever read. I need to process and come back, but this made me feel all the feels. There are so many insanely gorgeous lines I would love to quote here. Suffice it to say, I about ran out of ink in my highlighter. If you liked Addie LaRue, you will like this book. Even if you didn’t, you will probably like this book. Another note: I It doesn’t remotely read as YA. More like literary fiction.

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven, (List Price: $20, Wednesday Books, 9781250333889, March 2025)

Reviewed by Kelley Dykes, Main Street Reads in Summerville, South Carolina

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At Night, They Danced by Victoria Scott-Miller

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At Night, They Danced by Victoria Scott-Miller
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I absolutely LOVED when our parents went out on date nights. This book invokes all the memories of these times and highlights the love between parents. Not something you see often in kids books. Very positive and completely fun.

At Night, They Danced by Victoria Scott-Miller, (List Price: $19.99, Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Yo, 9781665927819, March 2025)

Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Home by Matt de la Peña

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Home by Matt de la Peña
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I’m weeping openly in my store after reading this gorgeous book about what makes a home. As more families are displaced due to trauma, conflict, and climate change, this is a necessary picture book to help anyone processing a difficult transition in life.

Home by Matt de la Peña, (List Price: $19.99, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 9780593110898, March 2025)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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Candle Island by Lauren Wolk

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Candle Island by Lauren Wolk
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Candle Island is one of those stories that stays in your heart. A beautiful book about love, family, and grief that shows the healing power of creativity and nurturing wildness in wild spaces. I loved it!

Candle Island by Lauren Wolk, (List Price: $18.99, Dutton Books for Young Readers, 9780593698549, April 2025)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Ripening Time by Patrice Gopo

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Ripening Time by Patrice Gopo
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Gopo weaves themes of family heritage, the joy of anticipation, and the small pain of waiting into a sweet story of purchasing plantains and watching them ripen before the family can fry them up for a delicious treat. Gopo’s poetic talent meets kids and families in a sweet spot that is not heavy-handed, but wonderfully inspiring. I can’t wait to share this with our readers.

Ripening Time by Patrice Gopo, (List Price: $18.99, WorthyKids, 9781546005391, April 2025)

Reviewed by Adah Fitzgerald, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One by Kristen Arnett

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Stop Me If You've Heard This One by Kristen Arnett
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Don’t let the title fool you – you haven’t heard this one before. Kristen Arnett pratfalls her way into our hearts with a more gay, more unhinged, more Florida version of a John Hughes movie of a book. The absurdity only makes the characters more real. Sometimes, being funny is serious business. This novel treats it as such.

Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One by Kristen Arnett, (List Price: $28, Riverhead Books, 9780593719770, March 2025)

Reviewed by Dominic Howarth, Book + Bottle in St. Petersburg, Florida

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Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch

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Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch
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Like the first novel, this book is filled with themes of family, holiday joy, and learning to love—both yourself and others. Following Kristopher Clause as he investigates missing holiday magic in the land of St. Patrick’s Day, he discovers that his life and emotions have been twisted by his need to appear put together. As he starts to learn how to feel joy again, Kris also finds love in a person thought to be his enemy — the St. Patrick’s Day prince. Through humorous dialogue, intricate detailing, and a plentiful amount of romance, Go Luck Yourself is a fast-paced and heartwarming novel.

Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch, (List Price: $19.99, Bramble, 9781250333216, March 2025)

Reviewed by Ashton Ahart, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

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The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
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This book is a delight, both as a tale and physically, a palm-sized treat with gorgeous, subtle decorations flowing through it like the river of its title. El-Mohtar employs wordplay of the most sumptuous variety from page one, in a world where grammar is magic and nature, from trees to storms to the very people, are always more than they appear. “That is the nature of grammar – it is always tense…” A faerytale of delicious tropes, from magic to riddles to metamorphoses, whose narrator doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as knock it down, sweep it aside, and come and sit in your lap in a brief but delightfully deep look at love, sisterhood, and what we would sacrifice for them both.

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar, (List Price: $24.99, Tordotcom, 9781250341082, March 2025)

Reviewed by Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa

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The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa
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Nothing is more awkward than a first kiss, and Ingrid Ochoa captures that so well and makes it interesting when senior student Sara Lin gets bet by her friend to kiss a stranger. What ensues is secret disguises, new crushes, and so many twists and turns. Will Sara get her kiss? Will she pass Calculus!? Can’t wait to see where this story goes!

The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa, (List Price: $18.99, WEBTOON Unscrolled, 9781998341146, February 2025)

Reviewed by Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa

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The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa
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Just how far are you willing to go for a bet? Would you kiss a cute stranger on the subway? I have followed this comic for so so long and I’m elated to see it in print! Team subway boy all the way!

The Kiss Bet Volume One by Ingrid Ochoa, (List Price: $18.99, WEBTOON Unscrolled, 9781998341146, February 2025)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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We Do Not Part by Han Kang

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We Do Not Part by Han Kang
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Devastating, gorgeously written and translated. I will be thinking about this book, about Kyungha and Inseon, the snow and the trees, the birds Ama and Ami, and the generations of spirits brought to life in these painful, breathtaking pages. Reading Han Kang’s work feels like a precious honor, and in the incredible wake of her Nobel win, We Do Not Part is an astounding introduction for many new readers.

We Do Not Part by Han Kang, (List Price: $28, Hogarth, 9780593595459, January 2025)

Reviewed by Emily Tarr, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama

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The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

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The Broposal by Sonora Reyes
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The Broposal was a wild ride from start to finish. Alejandro (Han for short) has been best friends with Kenny since they were 8. Now, at 23, they are still inseparable. When Kenny learns that Han lost his job that was meant to sponsor his visa, he comes up with the idea of fake-marrying Han for his citizenship instead. Although their plan seems foolproof, Kenny’s ex Jackie continues to cause trouble for the two. This book has the fun romance trope of fake relationships while also showing the struggle of an undocumented person in America. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry, and hope for their happily ever after.

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes, (List Price: $17.99, Forever, 9781538766682, January 2025)

Reviewed by Gabriela Warner, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

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But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
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Where to even begin with this book other than wowza. I was not expecting to be given the most thrilling sapphic monster romance in the entire world. But Not Too Bold gave me goosebumps, and I fear that’s all you really need to know about how incredible it was.

But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo, (List Price: $24.99, Tordotcom, 9781250376633, February 2025)

Reviewed by Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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