Notable New Book Releases for Tuesday, February 4th

Given starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and named one of the Most Anticipated Books of the Year by Vogue and Buzzfeed, here is what bookseller Anthony at Books are Magic had to say for the Indie Next List: “A powerful and visceral collection from one of today’s most unique voices that will take you out of your comfort zone. Yuknavitch focuses on the subject of the body: bodies trying to find comfort, bodies trying to become whole, bodies destroyed, bodies as an object, how they are connected to one another, how they can be broken, and how much they are worth. To dive into this collection is to let a cinderblock tied to your leg drag you down into unknown watery depths and instead of trying to loosen the knot, holding tight and letting the waters consume you.”

In Race Against Time, Mitchell takes readers on the twisting road that led to the reopening of four infamous killings from the civil rights movement, decades later. His work played a central role in bringing killers to justice for the assassination of Medgar Evers, the firebombing of Vernon Dahmer, the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham, and the Mississippi Burning case. Mitchell reveals how he unearthed secret documents and found long-lost suspects and witnesses, building up evidence strong enough to take on the Klan. He takes us with him into the lion’s den, meeting one-on-one with the very murderers he is seeking to catch. His efforts have put four leading Klansmen behind bars, years after they thought they had gotten away with murder. Race Against Time is an astonishing, courageous story, capturing a historic fight for justice as the past is uncovered, clue by clue, and long-ignored evils are brought into the light. This is a landmark book and essential reading for all Americans.

The story of a solitary green notebook that brings together six strangers and leads to unexpected friendship, and even love. On this month’s Indie Next List, bookseller Melissa from Watermark Books & Café raved, “Sometimes, especially in this digital age, we get caught up in the idea that while our lives are a mess, everyone else has got it together. And maybe — as Clare Pooley explores in The Authenticity Project — if we were all just honest about our insecurities and difficulties and worries, it would be easier for people to form stronger bonds. This is a charming book with a sweet love story, but at its heart it’s a reminder that we need each other more than we need our phones.”

Sarah Gailey’s latest novella received two starred reviews. From Booklist: “In a post-apocalyptic American West, Librarians deliver Approved Materials to isolated towns and outposts. They are also unwittingly delivering Esther, who ran away from home to escape an arranged marriage. She imagines the hardscrabble life of the Librarian will help her overcome the feelings she had for her best friend, Beatriz, who was hanged for possessing Unapproved Materials. Alas, the Librarians are not what they seem, and Head Librarian Bet is barely convinced to let Esther stay on, lest she compromise their true mission. As they pick up their real cargo, Esther learns the ropes from surly apprentice Cye, who challenges everything Esther thought she knew about gender roles and feelings. Combining winking humor, cinematic landscapes, heart-stopping action sequences, and romances that will leave readers squeeing, Gailey's novella is a feat of writerly sorcery that packs a sweeping political epic into fewer than 200 pages. Even as readers are charmed by the book's sense of righteous rebellion and queer glee, the lesson Esther learns (that everyone has a right to be who they are) will catch them right in the feels.”