HARLEM RHAPSODY

BY VICTORIA CHRISTOPHER MURRAY  | HISTORICAL FICTION

The year is 1919. Jessie Redmon Fauset has found herself in Harlem eager to fill her new role as the literary editor of The Crisis. She is the first Black woman to hold this position and is excited to chase her dreams. However, the secret relationship she is having with her boss, who is also the magazine’s founder, complicates things. The magazine thrives under her leadership, but what’s the cost? 

Publish date: Feb. 4

DEEP END

BY ALI HAZELWOOD |  ROMANCE

Ali Hazelwood is at it again, this time with a college romance. Follow a competitive diver and an ace swimmer as they navigate forbidden waters. If you dig sports romances where he falls first (and hard), keep an eye out for this one.

Expected publish date: Feb. 4

FIRST-TIME CALLER 

BY B.K. BORISON |  ROMANCE

You may know B.K. Borison from her well-loved Lovelight Farms series. First-Time Caller is the first book in her new Heartstrings series. This Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story follows Aiden, the host of a romance hotline, who is over the idea of love. A young girl calls the station to ask for some dating advice for her mom Lucie, and it goes viral. When this hopeless romantic meets the jaded radio host she has to choose her happily ever after. 

Expected publish date: Feb. 11

ONE DAY, EVERYONE WILL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST THIS

BY OMAR EL AKKAD | NONFICTION

El Akkad is an immigrant who, like many others, came to the West under the promise of freedom. As the years have gone by he has reported on Ferguson, Black Lives Matter protests, climate change, the War on Terror, and more. He has watched the terrors in Gaza and come to the conclusion that what the West has promised is a lie, and this is his breakup letter. 

Expected publish date: Feb. 25

DREAM COUNT

BY CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE | LITERARY FICTION

Dream Count was written by the author of We Should All Be Feminists and Americanah and has been praised as a publishing event ten years in the making. The story follows four women; Chiamaka, Zikora, Omelogor, and Kadiatou, who are all facing their own battles. The official book description puts it best, “a trenchant reflection on the choices we make and those made for us, on daughters and mothers, on our interconnected world, Dream Count pulses with emotional urgency and poignant, unflinching observations of the human heart, in language that soars with beauty and power.”

Publish date: March 4

SAVING FIVE: A MEMOIR OF HOPE

BY AMANDA NGUYEN | MEMOIR

TW: Sexual Assault

Amanda Nguyen dreamed of going to Harvard, but a frat party changed her life forever. She was raped and decided to file her kit under Jane Doe as a way of protecting her future career goals. She was unaware that doing so would allow for her kit to be destroyed in six months if she didn’t take action. Amanda created the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, which is one of the only unanimously passed laws in the history of the United States. This memoir covers her life, from childhood to her fight for change.  

Expected publish date: March 4

STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE

BY KRISTEN ARNETT |  FICTION

Cherry is a professional clown performing all over Orlando. She meets Margot the Magnificent, an older lesbian magician who becomes her mentor. The book is packed with musicians, misfits, magicians, and mimes. A fun comedic read. 

Expected publish date: March 18

HARRIET TUBMAN: LIVE IN CONCERT

BY BOB THE DRAG QUEEN |  FICTION

Harriet Tubman and four enslaved people she led to freedom are about to tell their story. A hip-hop album and live show is a pretty unique way to do that, and she needs a songwriter to make it happen. Darnell Williams, a once successful producer is just the person for the job. Together they create some beautiful and impactful tunes and set out to tell her story.

Expected publish date: March 25

SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME

BY ABBY JIMENEZ |  ROMANCE

Lovers of Abby Jimenez and romance should get pumped for this one. Xavier is a hot veterinarian with a totally gorgeous bod, but he ruins things quickly by saying the wrong thing to Samantha. Still, they have one great night. Samantha doesn’t have time for a relationship as she’s dealing with a family crisis, but the spark between them is hard to ignore.

Expected publish date: April 1

OFF THE SPECTRUM: WHY THE SCIENCE OF AUTISM HAS FAILED WOMEN AND GIRLS

BY GINA RIPPON|  NONFICTION

Autism presents differently in women, which has led to a lack of research and the false belief that this is only something that men deal with. Women so often go undiagnosed or underdiagnosed, which has had a devastating impact. Explore how autistic women have been overlooked by biased research and just how harmful this is. 

Expected publish date: April 1

HAPPY LAND

BY DOLEN PERKINS-VALDEZ |  LITERARY FICTION

In Happy Land, a woman learns the truth about her family and the ties they have to a vanished American Kingdom. Her great-great-great grandmother was queen of a community of freed people, and her legacy lies in the hills of western North Carolina.   

Expected publish date: April 8

WILD AND WRANGLED

BY LYLA SAGE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | WESTERN ROMANCE

The fourth book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series is on its way. If you love a small-town romance this is a series you’ll want to catch up on. This installment follows Cam and Dusty, two past lovers who get a second chance.

Publish date: April 15

MATRIARCH

BY TINA KNOWLES | MEMOIR

Explore the life of Tina Knowles, mother of Beyoncé and Solange, in this upcoming memoir. She is a well-known and loved matriarch but has done more than raise some of the greatest artists of our time. Dive into her past and learn about her experience growing up and navigating life’s many obstacles. 

Expected publish date: April 15

GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE

BY EMILY HENRY | CONTEMPORARY FICTION | ROMANCE

There’s no point in focusing too much on the description of this book as it’s another Emily Henry novel and sure to be loved by many. In Great Big Beautiful Life two writers, Alice and Hayden, compete for the chance to tell a big story. They both want to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years and they’ve been invited on a month-long trial, where she will ultimately pick only one of them to tell her tale. 

Publish date: April 22

ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE

BY KRISTEN KISH | MEMOIR 

Kristen Kish grew up trying to fit in as an adoptee in the Midwest. She went on to win Top Chef and years later became an Emmy-nominated host. This memoir explores how she learned to find her voice and the milestones she faced along the way. 

Expected publish date: April 22

A PROTEST HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

BY  GLORIA J. BROWNE-MARSHALL |  NONFICTION

A Protest History of the United States is exactly what it sounds like, and with how things are going right now it’s what we need. This book explores 400 years of protest and resistance, and readers can expect to learn a thing or two about what the past can teach us about navigating our chaotic world. 

Expected publish date: April 22

STRANGERS IN THE LAND: EXCLUSION, BELONGING, AND THE EPIC STORY OF THE CHINESE IN AMERICA

BY MICHAEL LUO |  NONFICTION  

Strangers in the Land sheds light on the history of Chinese who migrated to America in the middle of the nineteenth century. Here Chinese laborers faced hate, violence, and laws aimed at excluding them. This book tells the story of early victims of anti-Asian violence and should be a great read for those interested in American history, ugly parts included. 

Expected publish date: April 29

SYMPATHY FOR WILD GIRLS

BY DEMREE MCGHEE | SHORT STORIES

“A debut collection of surreal, skin-piercing stories about the boundless longing of queer Black women. A runaway seeks shelter from violence with a pack of wild coyotes. A young woman falls into a hypocritical crew of white Christian YouTube influencers. A mother witnesses her daughter’s prophecy about the end of the world come true. In Sympathy for Wild Girls, young Black women yearn for intimacy and hunt for belonging in a subtly warped version of our world, where social mores loom like shadows and bigotry shape-shifts.” – The Feminist Press.

Publish date: May 6

CAN’T GET ENOUGH

BY KENNEDY RYAN | ROMANCE

Can’t Get Enough is the third and final book in the Skyland Series. Hendrix Barry is an ambitious woman living a big life full of family, friends, and a successful business. She’s chasing her dreams, but also caring for an aging parent. She doesn’t have any time or energy left for romance, but that’s before Maverick Bell. 

Publish date: May 13

GHOST IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE MACHINE: REFORM, WHITE SUPREMACY, AND AN ABOLITIONIST FUTURE

BY EMILE SUOTONYE DeWEAVER |  NONFICTION

Activist, essayist, and organizer Emilie Suotonye DeWeaver was formerly incarcerated and argues the root of the problem with mass incarceration is white supremacy. This is a critique of the prison administration, police unions, and more as well as an exploration of what is needed to end white supremacy. 

Expected publish date: May 13

MARSHA: THE JOY AND DEFIANCE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON

BY TOURMALINE | NONFICTION

Dive into the biography of revolutionary activist Marsha P. Johnson. It’s believed Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick in the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. Her story and legacy will not be forgotten, and it’s one worth exploring deeper. This heavily researched biography brings her story to life and is sure to inspire readers to be their most authentic selves. This is exactly the book we need right now. 

Publish date: May 20

JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS

BY BETSY GOLDEN KELLEM | NONFICTION

Explore the hidden history of early female and gender-nonconforming circus performers like Lavinia Warren and Millie-Christine McKoy. During a time when women were expected to stay at home and put on a display of well-behaved normalcy in public, these performers did their thing anyway. They challenged the idea of what it means to a woman and helped transform the circus into a bold magnificent display. 

Publish date: June 10

GREAT BLACK HOPE

BY ROB FRANKLIN |  FICTION

Smith is a queer Black Standford graduate, and an arrest for cocaine possession is about to turn his whole world upside down. He’s caught in a place where his class protects him while his race does the opposite. This coming-of-age story will be quite a journey. 

Expected publish date: June 10

ART ABOVE EVERYTHING: ONE WOMAN’S GLOBAL EXPLORATION OF THE JOYS AND TORMENTS OF A CREATIVE LIFE

BY STEPHANIE ELIZONDO GRIEST |  NONFICTION

Author Stephanie Elizondo Griest explores the journey and sacrifices of queer, BIPOC, and women artists throughout the world. Get an intimate look into the lives and thoughts of writers, dancers, musicians, and other artists and what the pursuit of their art has cost and given them. The artist’s path isn’t easy, but it can be deeply rewarding.   

Expected publish date: June 10

I WANT TO BURN THIS PLACE DOWN

BY MARIS KREIZMAN |  ESSAYS

This essay collection follows Maris Kreizman, a feminist, democrat, and former rule follower who believed that enough hard work and living by the rules would lead to a safe and comfortable life. A few decades later and through the broken promises she has lost faith in American institutions. If you wish you could go back and share this truth with your childhood self or just want America to do better, this one’s for you. 

Expected publish date: July 1

FEMINISM BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT

BY HOLLY LAWFORD-SMITH |  NONFICTION

Political philosopher Holly Lawford-Smith questions the assumption that feminism belongs to the left and makes the case for non-partisan feminism. She challenges the default belief that a feminist must be a left-wing woman, and argues for feminism outside of politcal constraints. Feminism is for all.  

Expected publish date: July 28

THE NEW LESBIAN PULP

EDITED BY SARAH FONSECA AND OCTAVIA SAENZ  | PULP

Between 1950 and 1965, more than 500 lesbian pulps were published in the United States. They were marketed to men at the time, but also offered women representation that was severely lacking. This collection of reinvented queer pulp fiction puts some of the best stories all in one place.  

Expected publish date: Aug. 12

KATABASIS

BY R.F. KUANG |  DARK ACADEMIA FANTASY

Author of Babel and Yellowface is at it again. Two rival graduate students must put aside their issues and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul. Alice has sacrificed everything to become the best at magic and to work with Professor Jacob Grimes. After he dies in a magical accident, she must team up with Peter to save him or risk their potential for a successful future.

Expected publish date: Aug. 26

EATING BEHIND BARS: ENDING THE HIDDEN PUNISHMENT OF FOOD IN PRISON

BY LESLIE SOBLE, ALEX BUSANSKY, AISHATU R. YUSUF, IMPACT JUSTICE |  NONFICTION

This book offers an exploration of an unseen food crisis that affects millions of Americans. Hunger, malnourishment, and food waste is the reality in the United States prison system. This book combines testimonials from formerly incarcerated individuals, photography, and illustrations to shed light on this harsh reality.  

Expected publish date: Oct. 28

Sophie McDowell (she/her) is a writer and creator currently living in Kansas City. She got her degree in mass media with an emphasis in film and video from Washburn University. She also has minors in art, history, and women’s studies. When Sophie isn’t writing or volunteering her time to social justice, she can be found hanging out with her pets. 

Maddy Best (she/her) is a first-generation Vietnamese American designer. Raised in rural Missouri, she spent five years in KC before making the move to St. Louis. As a freelancer, she uses her multidisciplinary design expertise to help people, brands, and organizations bring experiences to life. Her passion is using design to answer questions and solve problems for all people – regardless of their gender, race, status, or abilities. When she’s not designing websites or brand identities, you can find Maddy cooking, listening to the same emo playlist on repeat, watching bad sci-fi films, and playing video games.