By Sophia-Joelle McDowell
Art by Kelcie McKenney
This past year was full of Taylor Swift references and great movies like Barbie. 2023 also brought plenty of new and enjoyable reads. Whether you’re a lover of romance, thrillers, smut, nonfiction, or really any other genre, we’ve got you covered!
We know, we know…your TBR is already packed full, but there’s always room for one or five more, right? Here are some new releases hitting bookstore and library shelves near you in 2024!
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By Bella Rainey
Writing about your own book is always a humbling experience, and it is also required when you write a book.
Hey friends, my name is Bella Rainey. You may recognize me from KCtoday, but if not, it’s so nice to meet you. Outside of writing for KCtoday (or here for Catcall), I have a tendency to basically never stop writing. Whether it is a notes app entry or a full novel, I seem to never run out of words to say.
That brings me to the aforementioned novel. Let’s rewind the tapes.
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By Nicole Mitchell
Over two years ago, Mercury Stardust—aka the Trans Handy Ma’am on TikTok—responded to a comment that went viral. Since then, she’s been giving out her expert DIY and other home maintenance advice to renters on TikTok, began her podcast “Handy Ma’am Hotline,” and wrote her first book, titled Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair.
Safe and Sound gives readers tips on over 50 home projects from her perspective as a maintenance technician of over 16 years. Chapters cover a wide variety of maintenance, such as plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and safety needs—plus QR code links to videos to help you along the way.
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By Sophia-Joelle McDowell
Art by Kelcie McKenney
As a Black Caribbean immigrant to the United States, Dr. Roxy Manning experienced racism early in life—both at school and out in the community. These experiences fueled her passion to tackle the topic of racism in her book, How to Have Antiracist Conversations: Embracing Our Full Humanity to Challenge White Supremacy. She also co-authored with Sarah Peyton the companion text, The Antiracist Heart: A Self-Compassion and Activism Handbook.
Roxy Manning, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and certified Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) trainer.
She has worked closely with businesses, non-profits, and government organizations throughout the United States to help them make progress in equitable and diverse workplace cultures. Additionally, Dr. Manning has worked with people in many other countries focusing on social change. She even works as a psychologist in San Francisco, serving the houseless and disenfranchised mentally ill population.
We spoke with Dr. Manning about the creation of this book and the possibilities of what it could mean to others.
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By Sophia-Joelle McDowell
Collage by Kelcie McKenney
Lisa Cornwell is a four-time Arkansas Women’s State Golf champion, a two-time AJGA first-team All-American, and a two-time All-State basketball player. In 1992 she was named the Arkansas Female Athlete of the Year and has been inducted into the Arkansas Golf and Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
After her strong athletic career, Cornwell found herself on the path of journalism. Before Cornwell was an on-air host for Golf Channel, she worked for the Big Ten Networks and local affiliates in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio. Over the years, she earned a reputation for delivering excellent interviews and was genuinely great at her job.
As described in her book, Troublemaker: a Memoir of Sexism, Retaliation, and the Fight They Didn’t See Coming, Cornwell has never had a problem standing up to bullies.
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