The Spring 2024 Reading Group Guide Preview

Dazzling Debuts

The Applicant (Indies Introduce)
By Nazlı Koca
(Grove Press, 9780802162717, $17, Feb. 20)
“Cleaning hostel bathrooms while she anxiously awaits a decision on her immigration status, Leyla journals her struggles and occasional victories in this phenomenal debut. Sex, drugs, techno, and a curious new love interest keep her afloat.”
—Seth Tucker, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Bad Cree: A Novel
By Jessica Johns
(Anchor, 9780593467947, $17, Dec. 5, 2023)
“When Mackenzie’s dreams start crashing into her daily life, she can no longer avoid her family or her grief over her sister’s sudden death. A chilling story that expertly weaves grief with the eerie world of the subconscious.”
—Nikita Imafidon, Raven Book Store, Lawrence, KS

Brutes: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Dizz Tate
(Catapult, 9781646222155, $17.95, Feb. 13)
“For fans of The Virgin Suicides, with teenage girls at their messiest, most cruel, and desperate, Brutes is a story of Floridian girls directly after the object of their idolatry, the preacher’s daughter, goes missing. Sinister and mesmerizing.”
—Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA

Clytemnestra: A Novel
By Costanza Casati
(Sourcebooks Landmark, 9781728279374, $16.99, Mar. 5)
“Clytemnestra, sister to the more famous Helen of Troy, rises out of the past and into the spotlight in this engaging debut by a new voice in mythology and history. Read about the most hated queen in Greek history — maybe she had her reasons.”
—Linda Bond, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, WA

House of Cotton: A Novel
By Monica Brashears
(Flatiron Books, 9781250851932, $17.99, Apr. 2)
“Magnolia is captivating, and the life she finds herself in is like a modern-day Grimm’s fairytale. Utterly surreal, delicious, and haunting — everything you could hope for in a Southern Gothic. A must-read for fans of Raven Leilani’s Luster.”
—Audrey Beatty, River Bend Bookshop, Glastonbury, CT

Wandering Souls: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Cecile Pin
(Holt Paperbacks, 9781250863485, $16.99, Mar. 26)
“Cecile Pin enters a rich heritage of Vietnamese diasporic fiction, exploring the fractured postwar nation-self through personal and familial trauma. I loved reading this book; its ghosts felt so real. For fans of Ocean Vuong and Akwaeke Emezi.”
—Jihye Shin, Greenlight Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY

Family & Coming of Age

The Celebrants
By Steven Rowley
(G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780593540435, $18, Mar. 26)
“The Celebrants follows five friends who met in college, bonded over a traumatic event, and vowed to celebrate each other’s ‘funerals’ while they’re still alive. Rowley skillfully weaves past and present as they navigate life’s challenges.”
—Carol Schneck Varner, Schuler Books (Okemos), Okemos, MI

The Chinese Groove: A Novel
By Kathryn Ma
(Counterpoint, 9781640096189, $17.95, Jan. 23)
“An unconventional immigration story, where a young Chinese man travels to the US to stay with extended family in search of upward mobility. Along the way, he manages to heal old family wounds, proving that help can come from unexpected places.”
—Meghana Kandlur, Open Books, Chicago, IL

Love Novel
By Ivana Sajko, Mima Simić
(Biblioasis, 9781771965989, $15.95, Feb. 6)
“A strange little novel interrogating a marriage during its rockiest period. Immaculate and precise prose balances a darkly comedic cynicism and a brief but sweet optimism, asking what we are willing to sustain with our significant others.”
—Isaiah Scandrette, Folio Books, San Francisco, CA

My Last Innocent Year: A Novel
By Daisy Alpert Florin
(Holt Paperbacks, 9781250857057, $17.99, Feb. 13)
“A young Jewish girl in her senior year at a prestigious university is forced to come to terms with a nonconsensual sexual encounter and a relationship with a professor that gets out of hand. A captivating coming of age novel for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh and Sally Rooney.”
—Sloane Shevin, {pages} a bookstore, Manhattan Beach, CA

Pineapple Street: A Novel
By Jenny Jackson
(Penguin Books, 9780593490716, $18, Mar. 12)
“Rich people. We love to hate them, but we can’t stop reading about them. Jenny Jackson’s light and witty novel about a family with vast privilege is enjoyable without too much envy or frustration that we’ve devoted hours to people we despise.”
—Anmiryam Budner, Main Point Books, Wayne, PA

Wings of Red
By James W. Jennings
(Soft Skull, 9781593767099, $16.95, Nov. 21, 2023)
“What an accomplishment! The language — singular to young people in NYC — is absolutely perfect and rises off the page. I felt like I was there with June Papers, riding the trains all night, meeting friends, working the elevator during lunch period.”
—Laurel Kane, White Whale Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA

Historical Fiction

The Great Reclamation: A Novel
By Rachel Heng
(Riverhead Books, 9780593420126, $18, Mar. 26)
“An epic story of love and friendship set against the ever-changing world of mid-century Singapore and the great cost toward independence.”
—Julie Slavinsky, Warwick’s, La Jolla, CA

Homecoming: A Novel
By Kate Morton
(Mariner Books, 9780063020900, $19.99, Apr. 2)
“Set in Australia between the 1950’s Adelaide Hills and present day Sydney, this novel follows the Turner family and the sudden tragedy that befalls them. Historical fiction with a mystery at its core, Homecoming is a clever, compelling novel.”
—Jade Tisserand, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA

Horse: A Novel
By Geraldine Brooks
(Penguin Books, 9780399562976, $19, Jan. 16)
“Art history, slavery and race, museums, and one of the most famous racehorses of all time pack this book with characters that readers will rail against, cry over and cheer for, all while being carried away by Brooks’ beautiful writing.”
—Betsy Von Kerens, The Bookworm of Omaha, Omaha, NE

The House Is on Fire
By Rachel Beanland
(Simon & Schuster, 9781982186159, $18.99, Apr. 2)
“Compelling fiction created around the 1811 Richmond Theatre fire and four real-life individuals changed by the incident. The characters are fully formed and the author successfully avoids the cliches often found in writing about the South.”
—Doloris Vest, Book No Further, Roanoke, VA

Lone Women: A Novel
By Victor LaValle
(One World, 9780525512103, $18, Feb. 6)
“This smart, stylish, and savage literary thriller combines a feminist, race-conscious historical lens on the old West with loam-rich, marrow-deep horrors. Like Octavia Butler’s version of The Babadook crossed with a Stephen King-ified True Grit.”
—Jonathan Hawpe, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Time’s Undoing: A Novel
By Cheryl A. Head
(Dutton, 9780593471845, $18, Feb. 27)
“Inspired by the author’s family history, Meghan, a journalist, goes to Birmingham to find the answers to her great grandfather’s 1929 murder by a police officer. While there, Meghan meets residents who are determined to help her and to change the city itself.”
—Audrey I-Wei Huang, Belmont Books, Belmont, MA

Nonfiction & Memoir

BFF: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found
By Christie Tate
(Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, 9781668009437, $17.99, Feb. 6)
“With raw honesty, Tate dives deep into the hard work required to develop and sustain friendships. Full of heart and humor, B.F.F. will have you reexamining your own friendships in a new light.”
—Maxwell Gregory, Madison Street Books, Chicago, IL

Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember
By Lauren Graham
(Ballantine Books, 9780593355442, $18, Nov. 14, 2023)
“Lauren Graham uses her patented charm, wit, and timing to deliver delightful, amusing tales. This book picks up right where her last book of essays left off. Highly recommend for fans of Gilmore Girls dialogue and comedy memoirs in general!”
—AJ Sanders, MacArthur Books, Carmel, IN

A Living Remedy: A Memoir
By Nicole Chung
(Ecco, 9780063031623, $19.99, Apr. 30)
“Nichole Chung reaffirms with A Living Remedy why she’s one of our #AutoBuy authors! I cried throughout this book about her parents’ untimely deaths, the unequal burdens poor working Americans bear, and the life-saving power of family and friendship.”
—Jhoanna Belfer, Bel Canto Books, Long Beach, CA

Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma
By Claire Dederer
(Vintage, 9780525564188, $17, Apr. 23)
“Claire Dederer’s utterly engrossing and courageously unflinching deep dive into the question of how/can/should we reconcile great art made by horrible people. It is a refreshingly non-prescriptive take that also lets no one off the hook, including herself.”
—Robert Sindelar, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

Weightless: Making Space for My Resilient Body and Soul
By Evette Dionne
(Ecco, 9780063076372, $17.99, Dec. 5, 2023)
“Well-written and researched, Weightless is an inspirational memoir of Blackness, fatness, and womanhood. Dionne’s compelling essays explore dating, chronic illness, childhood, and society in general. Insightful and engaging!”
—Amber Reinhart, Adventures By The Book, San Diego, CA

The White Mosque: A Memoir
By Sofia Samatar
(Catapult, 9781646222032, $17.95, Dec. 5)
“The White Mosque is both a history lesson and a lyrical journey. Incredibly beautiful text tells the story of Mennonite pilgrims who follow a charismatic leader into Uzbekistan.”
—Camille Kovach, Completely Booked, Murrysville, PA

Small Bites