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The Feather Wars by James H. McCommons

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The Feather Wars by James H. McCommons
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At a time when species loss is many orders of magnitude greater than the natural background rate, this is an uplifting tale of how a wide range of people — ornithologists, hunters, birders, naturalists, scientists, and capitalists came together in an unlikely alliance to save wading birds and songbirds from the brink of extinction, transforming the American conservation movement in the process.

The Feather Wars by James H. McCommons, (List Price: $33, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250286895, March 2026)

Reviewed by Jim, Righton Books in St Simons Island, Georgia

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Serafina Makes Waves by Matthew Burgess

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Serafina Makes Waves by Matthew Burgess
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Serafina does NOT like water. She doesn’t like running faucets, bathtubs, or the sea. When the powers that be decide she must take swimming lessons, she refuses to enter the pool. But when a friend is in danger, she leaps into action and, to her shock, finds she actually loves the water. This is a sweet book about looking beyond yourself and helping others.

Serafina Makes Waves by Matthew Burgess, (List Price: $18.99, Dial Books, 9780593699638, March 2026)

Reviewed by Rae Ann, Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN

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Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

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Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
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LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS ONE. An absolutely stunning study on the lives we almost have. The decisions we make, who we make them with (and for), and how relationships change and sustain us. Truly one of the best love stories I’ve ever read, queer literature is in good hands lately.

Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, (List Price: $29, S&S/Summit Books, 9781668204276, March 2026)

Reviewed by Sarah, E. Shaver, Booksellers in Savannah, Georgia

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Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

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Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
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Within a dual timeline, Shibli collapses 50 years into one another through the lens of settler colonialism and Israeli apartheid of the Palestinian people while remaining deeply human. The ending of this book has haunted me for three days straight.

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, (List Price: $15.95, New Directions, 9780811229074, May 2020)

Reviewed by Olivia, Shelf Life Books in Richmond, Virginia

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Intifadas by Edward Salem

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Intifadas by Edward Salem
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An important new collection of poetry by Edward Salem, highlighting the Palestinian experience from unique angles and styles. While understandably covering loss, violence, and love of country, land, and people, the poems are at times also funny, strange, and satirical. Salem offers a strong voice (combining tenderness and rage) and authority on a place and identity outside of my lived experience, and I feel more informed and engaged having taken my time with this collection.

Intifadas by Edward Salem, (List Price: $17.95, Sarabande Books, 9781956046694, April 2026)

Reviewed by Sarah, Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virginia

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Wickerwork by Christian Lehnert

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Wickerwork by Christian Lehnert
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Marvelous nature poems, sentences that ground you in the world of growth, life, and abundance. Read these outside, with your lungs full of fresh air and your ears full of birdsong.

Wickerwork by Christian Lehnert, (List Price: $18, Archipelago, 9781962770248, April 2026)

Reviewed by Emily, Thank You Books in Birmingham, AL

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Swirl & Vortex: Collected Poems by Larry Levi

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Swirl & Vortex: Collected Poems by Larry Levi
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Somehow Larry Levis slipped under my reading radar all these years, but when I saw how cool he looked on the cover of this collection and its fantastic title, I pretty much knew I’d love his stuff. Turns out he studied with one of my favorites—Philip Levine—and suffuses their shared linguistic precision with the kind of probing creativity my heart just can’t get enough of.

Swirl & Vortex: Collected Poems by Larry Levi, (List Price: $35, Graywolf Press, 9781644453711, February 2026)

Reviewed by Mark, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, KY

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Nadezhda in the Dark by Yelena Moskovitch

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Nadezhda in the Dark by Yelena Moskovitch
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This is truly what novels written in verse should be. Beautiful and devastating in equal measure, Moskovich reminds us that writing can be at its best when experimented with. Told over the span of one night, and arguably one sentence, this book is a blend of both styles and cultures. Following the Ukrainian Jewish narrator as she rests by her Russian lover in the dark, there are no words exchanged. Instead, what lies in the space between is history, both their own and that of their cultures. There is no clean plot, no clean anything left in their world. There is a series of vignettes: lesbian sex, folk tales, institutional antisemitism, Soviet jokes, the invasion of Ukraine. Through all of it though, is a love that, while it cannot fix their problems, shines beyond reason and uncertainty.

Nadezhda in the Dark by Yelena Moskovitch, (List Price: $17.95, Dzanc Books, 9781938603518, January 2026)

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

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Homeland by Hannah Moushabeck

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Homeland by Hannah Moushabeck
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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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Recognizing the Stranger by Isabella Hammad

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Recognizing the Stranger by Isabella Hammad
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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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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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A Flat Place by Noreen Masud

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A Flat Place by Noreen Masud
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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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Water by Rumi

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Water by Rumi
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A beautiful, fresh translation of Rumi that reaches back into time and renders the emotional resonance of his poetry. 10/10, amazing translation!

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

Reviewed by Robin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, AR

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Water by Rumi

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Water by Rumi
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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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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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