God’s Ex-Girlfriend: A Memoir About Loving and Leaving the Evangelical Jesus by Gloria Beth Amodeo : In a candid memoir, Amodeo traces how she was drawn into Evangelical Christianity in college before coming to see it as a “common American cult” involving unhealthy relationship dynamics and repressed sexuality. This posthumous collection gathers seven poignant autobiographical essays about living joyfully and looking for love in spite of chronic illness. Louis and had a heart transplant at age 19. Your Hearts, Your Scars by Adina Talve-Goodman : The author grew up a daughter of rabbis in St.
Money and religion are opposing pulls for Latinx characters as they ponder whether life will be better at home or elsewhere. The Faraway World by Patricia Engel : These 10 short stories contrast dreams and reality. She allows each to tell her life story through alternating first-person strands that only braid together very late on. citizenship.įor Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain by Victoria Mackenzie : Two female medieval mystics, Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe, are the twin protagonists of Mackenzie’s debut.
Belton creates a family and pals for her, too.Įverything’s Changing by Chelsea Stickle : The 20 weird flash fiction stories in this chapbook are like prizes from a claw machine: you never know whether you’ll pluck a drunk raccoon or a red onion the perfect size to replace a broken heart.ĭecade of the Brain by Janine Joseph : With formal variety and thematic intensity, this second collection by the Philippines-born poet ruminates on her protracted recovery from a traumatic car accident and her journey to U.S. Pusheen the Cat’s Guide to Everything by Claire Belton : Good-natured and whimsical comic scenes delight in the endearing quirks of Pusheen, everyone’s favorite cartoon cat since Garfield. (In publication date order links to the few reviews that are already available online) Tell the Rest by Lucy Jane Bledsoe : A high school girl’s basketball coach and a Black poet, both survivors of a conversion therapy camp in Oregon, return to the site of their spiritual abuse, looking for redemption.Īll of Us Together in the End by Matthew Vollmer : A pensive memoir investigates the blinking lights that appeared in his family’s woods soon after his mother’s death from complications of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in 2019. Painstakingly researched and a propulsive read. The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland : Four characters – two men and two women two white people and two Black slaves – are caught up in the Richmond Theater Fire of 1811. Shoot the Horses First by Leah Angstman : Sixteen sumptuous historical stories ranging from flash to novella length depict outsiders and pioneers who face disability and prejudice with poise. Most of my reviews haven’t been published yet I’ll give very brief excerpts and ratings here to pique the interest.Įarly in January I’ll follow up with my 20 Most Anticipated titles of the coming year.
In any case, I happen to have read a number of pre-release books, generally for paid review for Foreword, Shelf Awareness, etc. Some reviewers and book bloggers are constantly reading three to six months ahead of what’s out on the shelves, but I tend to get behind on proof copies and read from the library instead.
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