The Prey of Gods
by Nicky Drayden
In near-future South Africa, an immortal demigoddess is looking to regain her powers by causing a lot of bloodshed. Hoping to keep her from achieving her goal are a young Zulu girl with fresh powers, a pop diva, a politician, and a queer teen with some magic of his own. This fun, original book was turned all the way up to “banana pants” before the knob snapped off!
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body
by Roxane Gay
Gay turns a critical and insightful eye to her past, writing with extreme intimacy about trauma and violence, and her psychological and emotional struggles with food and her body. Gay has flayed her heart open on the pages, making “Hunger” a brutally honest and incredibly powerful read.
Spoonbenders
by Daryl Gregory
A family of washed-up psychics is paid a visit by the CIA hoping they might have a little magic left in them to help out. But, broken by tragedy, things haven’t worked for the Telemachus family in years — except for the youngest, Matthew, who is hiding the fact that he recently had an out-of-body experience. Gregory delivers a funny, original novel about an unusual family.
She Rides Shotgun
by Jordan Harper
A fast-paced, gritty story of an ex-con who kidnaps his 11-year-old daughter to keep her away from murderous skinheads looking to settle a score after he crossed them in jail. While on the run, he teaches her to fight, steal, and shoot to help her stay alive. It’s like “Paper Moon” meets “Oz” meets “The Professional.” It’s wildly bloody and violent, and the writing is electrifying.
The Widow Nash
by Jamie Harrison
Dulcey Remfrey has had a free-spirited childhood, but it’s 1904, and she’s now a grown woman who is expected to settle down and start a family. But when her eccentric father returns from an expedition having lost both his memory and all his fortune, Dulcey is enlisted in a plan by his business partner (and her ex) to help recover the missing funds. This is a fantastic story of a young woman defying convention, embarking on an adventure, and learning what it means to reinvent herself.
Magpie Murders
by Anthony Horowitz
Editor Susan Ryeland has worked with mystery writer Alan Conway for years. His famous detective, Atticus Pünd, is an homage to the queens of classic British crime. But Conway’s most recent manuscript strikes Ryeland as a little too true, and she worries the story is hiding a real crime. “Magpie Murders” is a masterful, suspenseful novel, told through both Ryeland and Pünd’s tales.
The Changeling
by Victor LaValle
Apollo Kagwa had strange recurring dreams after his father disappeared when Apollo was young. Now a grown man and a father himself, his dreams return just before his wife commits a horrific act and disappears. Now Apollo must go on a mythical journey to find her and learn the meaning of his dreams. “The Changeling” is a mesmerizing take on a classic fairytale by one of today’s greatest writers.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
by Mackenzi Lee
This is one of the summer’s most delightful reads, a rollicking romp set in the 1700s. Henry “Monty” Montague is a bisexual British lord who learns his father expects him to take over the family estate upon Monty’s return from a grand trip around Europe. So Monty sets out on his one last hurrah with his best friend (and secret crush) Percy to have an unforgettable adventure.
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
by Arundhati Roy
This is Roy’s first novel since “The God of Small Things” was released in 1997. It’s a beautifully woven tale of lives across India, people whose fates are interconnected by love and hope, once again highlighting Roy’s immense talent for storytelling.
Marriage of a Thousand Lies
by SJ Sindu
Lucky and her husband, Krishna, are gay. They uphold the illusion of wedded bliss to please their conservative Sri Lankan-American families. But when Lucky has to return to her childhood home, she runs into Nisha, her first love, who is about to enter an arranged marriage. Suddenly, Lucky’s crusade to keep Nisha from wedding has her questioning her own marriage, her circumstances, and her future. A powerful debut about old conventions, family, love, and the difficulties of being your true self.