Last week, as I flipped my calendar page over to March, the realization of how quickly we've moved since the new year became apparent, and time shows no sign of slowing. Society, including myself, exists within the blur of our daily routines and hustle of life. Yet, amidst these passages of time, the literary world keeps pace. Take a quick trip to your local bookstore, and you'll see what I mean! Bookstores have been filling up their shelves with new and exciting reads, spanning every genre imaginable, waiting for someone to grab them and invest time into their pages. They invite everyone in, promising something new for every reader. So, whether the chaos and speed of life have you on edge or you're simply looking for solace in a good book, take a moment to pause and take a break with the newly published books below!
Title: Martyr!
Author: Kaveh Akbar
Martyr! follows Cyrus Shams, a drunken poet stuck struggling with never-ending challenges. As he endures these issues, including his parents' death, encounters with racism, and struggles with addiction, Cyrus finds solace in his obsession with martyrs. This obsession leads him to travel from Indiana to New York City, exploring parts of his own past and family history along the way. While Cyrus explores the scattered clues of his life in search of meaning, a final revelation occurs when he meets a dying artist at the Brooklynn Museum, changing everything he believes to be true.
Title: Greta & Valdin
Author: Rebecca Reilly
Greta & Valdin follow the lives of a brother and sister (Greta and Valdin) as they explore queerness, love, multiracial identity, and the unconventional dynamics within their Māori-Russian-Catalonian family. Set in New Zealand and Argentina, the story focuses on the aftermath of Valdin's breakup and his unexpected reunion with his ex-boyfriend. Meanwhile, Greta grapples with unrequited love, academic challenges, and the chaotic family issues that persistently disrupt her life. Characterized by sharp humor, deep emotions, and the siblings' misadventures, Greta & Valdin is a book that you won't want to miss reading.
Title: Come and Get It
Author: Kiley Reid
Millie Cousins, a cash-strapped college senior juggling school life with dreams of financial freedom, only wants a few things: to graduate, secure a job, and buy a house. One day, when a visiting professor named Agatha Paul offers Millie a tempting yet strange opportunity, she eagerly accepts. As she carries out the questionable tasks, she navigates a world that is far from her own, encountering messy situations, secrets, and a touch of chaos along the way.
Title: Anita de Monte Laughs Last
Author: Xochitl Gonzalez
In the 1980s art scene, Anita de Monte's work flourished, then fizzled out tragically after she was mysteriously found dead in New York City. Fast-forward to 1998, and Raquel, a first-generation Ivy League art student at Brown, comes across Anita’s artwork while researching for her thesis. As Raquel searches for more information about Anita and her forgotten story, she begins to see many parallels between the two of them, eventually fuelling her own awakening.
Title: Blue Sisters
Author: Coco Mellors
The blue sisters, including Avery, the uptight lawyer with a complicated past; Bonnie, the retired boxer drowning in regret; and Lucky, the Paris model and party addict, have always been on completely different wavelengths. However, the devastating loss of their sister and a threat to their childhood home in New York forced them to reunite. United by grief and struggling with secrets and addictions, they each desperately try to find a sense of home again together.