H Melt
[isbn]
What I adore about this book is that it centers trans joy with such fierce intentionality and love for trans communities. H. Melt’s poetry is a soothing balm that carves out space for and insists to trans folks, you are here, you are seen, you are wanted, and you are loved.
Recommended by Alexis B.
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Jasmine Mans
[isbn]
Black Girl, Call Home is an utterly gorgeous collection from acclaimed poet Jasmine Mans, whose poetic voice lingers on the heart and can't — you won’t want it to — be set down. It is a beacon for the lost and wandering and a warm envelopment of home, healing, and the clarity that each of those lends to the soul. One of my favorite contemporary collections of poetry for its warmth, honesty, and undeniable artistry.
Recommended by Alexis B.
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Ntozake Shange
[isbn]
Ntozake Shange, author of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf (returning to Broadway April 2022), is a remarkable writer whose works truly take on a life and form of their own. With originality and real heart, Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo follows three sisters through their journeys finding themselves and learning to love themselves and others. An absolute gem.
Recommended by Alexis B.
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N. K. Jemisin
[isbn]
N.K. Jemisin's unforgettable collection of short stories inspired by the Afrofuturistic musical visions of Janelle Monáe, How Long 'Til Black Future Month? imagines Black people in speculative and futuristic sci-fi worlds with gripping detail and voices resounding with fierce hope. Jemisin, a self-proclaimed sci-fi nerd, said about the collection, "How terrifying it's been to realize no one thinks my people have a future. And how... (read more)
Recommended by Alexis B.
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adrienne maree brown
[isbn]
In Emergent Strategy, adrienne marree brown guides readers through recipes for shaping change, ourselves, and worlds. Inspired by the work of Octavia E. Butler, this nonfiction book imaginatively brings together science and sci-fi to explore our relationships with change. With loving attention to the body, spirit, and earth, Emergent Strategy is a lighthouse for change and the possible futures change offers.
Recommended by Alexis B.
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Mariame Kaba
[isbn]
In We Do This 'Til We Free Us, Mariame Kaba and a community of contributing writers look not only to the real-world futures we hope to create but at the practical tools with which we can collectively shape caring, liberated, and equitable futures for all. An absolutely stellar guide for the abolition-curious and abolitionist organizer alike, this collection delves into the ins and outs of abolitionist organizing work with special... (read more)
Recommended by Alexis B.
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Nnedi Okorafor
[isbn]
Nnedi Okorafor's Africanfuturistic Binti trilogy is a story from the space-travel-dreamer's dreams with a protagonist whose courageous heart and emotional depth grounds her galactic adventures. Binti navigates interplanetary and interspecies conflict when she leaves home to attend the galaxy's most prestigious university and, after her spaceship falls under attack, must survive and create peace between worlds. Spellbinding!
Recommended by Alexis B.
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Tomi Adeyemi
[isbn]
Adeyemi is an entrancing storyteller whose characters hold as much magic as sweet humanity. In Children of Blood and Bone, fantasy is a portal to considering present realities of police brutality, oppressive regimes, and generational trauma. Amidst it all, Black Girl Magic shines as Adeyemi's protagonist reclaims her voice, her community, her magic, and her self. An unmissable wonder.
Recommended by Alexis B.
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Gina Handley Schmitt
[isbn]
I loved this book because it refuses to demote friendships to anything short of sacred, necessary, special bonds worth prioritizing alongside any other type of relationship. The author provides practical advice for creating healthy friendships and nurturing those friendships with the utmost love and care.
Recommended by Alexis B.
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Octavia E Butler
[isbn]
Wild Seed left me marveling at Octavia Butler's enormous talent and her ability to imaginatively stretch the boundaries of time, being, bodies, healing, power, and love. The first in her Patternist series — which spans centuries into the past and the future — this work is the unfolding of one of the greatest sci-fi series of all time, from one of the greatest sci-fi writers of all time.
Recommended by Alexis B.
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Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
[isbn]
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, poet and bestselling author of The Love Songs of W. E. B. Dubois, shines in this collection of poems that turn to the writing, life, and legacy of Phillis Wheatley Peters. With the greatest precision and care, Jeffers' poetry invites readers to reconsider the biographical archives by which we've historically known Wheatley Peters, and the result of this reconsideration brings new life to her memory. A gorgeous... (read more)
Recommended by Alexis B.
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Karen Tei Yamashita
[isbn]
Yamashita composes a magnetic tale through the intersecting narratives of seven characters over the span of seven days. Its dynamic construction and alluring characterization are sure to keep readers leaning in. Heralded as one of the best novels set in Los Angeles, Tropic of Orange is an unforgettable work for readers who enjoy multi-perspective storytelling.
Recommended by Alexis B.
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