Girls Write Now 2022 TBR List: Staff Book Picks

ANOTHER BROOKLYN
by jacqueline woodson

(Harper Collins)

“This book is always the recommendation I give whenever someone asks me for something that will get them back into a reading mood. The writing is so honest and poetic — and as a poet, Woodson’s style of writing is the kind of stuff I just eat up. Woodson weaves together an entire story in a beautifully pieced-apart order that makes you hang on until the very end to put the puzzle together of memory and the coming-of-age experience. I often compare the feel of this book to The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, sharing similar subjects of girlhood that is faced with approaching womanhood, cultural markers that affect identity and gender, and prose writing that reads like poetry. Love love love this book so much!“

Sam Arriozola (she/her)
Fellow

The He Mele a Hilo (A Hilo Song) 
by Ryka Aok

(Topside Signature)

“Tender-hearted and funny debut novel by trans poet Ryka Aoki.“

Terence Diamond (he/him)
Grant Writer

BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY
BY QIAN JULIE WANG

(Penguin Random House)

“This book is truly a beautiful memoir about a young girl who immigrated from China. Through Wang’s well-written stories, readers get a glimpse into what it is like being an undocumented immigrant. Trust me, you won’t be able to put it down!”

Ariah Dow (she/her) Senior Community Manager

The Mercies
by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

(Hachette)

“I’ve been reading this novel set in 17th century Norway that tells the story of two young women learning how to survive in an arctic village after their men are wiped out by a storm at sea. For anyone who is a fan of Circe, or other tales of magic, mythology, and feminine power, this is a great read— it brings you into a world I haven’t seen much of in literature, and is full of powerful, strong women grappling with religion, witchcraft, love, survival and defiance against the backdrop of a frozen, shifting nation.“

Spencer George (she/her)
Special Initiatives Assistant

What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat
by Aubrey Gordon

(Penguin Random House)

“This book addresses fat phobia, harassment of fat people, intersections of fat phobia with racism and misogyny, and systemic anti-fat bias as it affects everything from employment to good health care and relationships.”

Gaby Gomez (she/her) Senior Development Manager

PARABLE OF THE SOWER
BY OCTAVIA BUTLER

(Penguin Random House)

“This book, though written in 1993, tells a cautionary tale about the impacts of environmental racism, capitalistic exploitation, and anarchy on its society; a society whose parallels to today are deeply unsettling. Told through the perspective of a Black woman, Parable of the Sower is the book I always turn to in times of crisis.”

Dacia Green (they/she) Senior Fellow

The Best We Could Do
by Thi Bui

(Abrams)

“This book encapsulates the lived experiences and complexities of family dynamics when generational layers of post-war trauma, sacrifice, violence and displacement exist. Thi Bui gives an intimate lens into human suffering and the battles people face in relation to others, society as a whole and within themselves.”

Zody Huynh (she/her) Senior Marketing Manager

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments
by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

(Milkweed Editions)

“I remember going to the Newport Aquarium as a child and looking up at the reef sharks and fish swimming above me in the shark tunnel. I remember that supreme awe I felt, feeling that I could almost touch their skin and live in their underwater world. It made me feel both bigger and smaller than I had ever felt before. If you, like me, are forever delighted and dazzled by the natural world, then this book is for you!“

Vahni Kurra (she/her)
Fellow

Arsenic and Adobo
by Mia P. Manansala

(Penguin Random House)

“I love a good whodunit and this book doesn’t disappoint! I think this book does a good job of balancing a mystery without all the violence or possibly anxiety-inducing themes you sometimes find within this genre. It’s more of a cozy puzzle to solve rather than an action packed murder mystery which I found intriguing. There’s also Filipino food recipes in the back of the book as an added bonus!”

Kelsey Lepage (she/her)
Development and Operations Manager

UNMUTED: THE GIRLS WRITE NOW 2021 ANTHOLOGY

“Unmuted: The Girls Write Now 2021 Anthology showcases today’s talented writers and you will be pulled in by the beautiful stories! Buy two copies and give one as a gift!“

Molly MacDermot (she/her)
Director of Special Initiatives

Luster
by Raven Leilani

(Macmillan)

“From dead-end jobs to open marriages and the complicated nature of found family, Luster brings to life the bold strangeness of being a twenty-something in today’s world with prose that delivers dry wit and heartfelt tension. If you’re into slightly weird, sometimes hilarious, frequently enjoyable fiction – pick this one up!”

Emily Mendelson (she/her)
Program Manager, Publishing360

Convenience Store Woman
by Sayaka Murata

(Grove)

“This book is a quirky and quick read, full of dark humor and big questions about work, purpose, and belonging. Definitely recommended for any misfits and readers who enjoy unconventional narrators.”

Sheena Daree Miller (she/her)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisor

Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
by Terry Tempest Williams

(Penguin Random House)

“This book explores the relationship between land stewardship and matriarchal family structures, highlighting the ways in which destruction of the natural world informs our conceptualization of life and family. Anything but despairing, this book offers a hopeful framework on how to approach grief and loss in both the world around us and our personal relationships.”

Erin O’Connor (she/her) Fellow

EXIT WEST
BY MOHSIN HAMID

(Penguin Random House)

“The novel is about a young couple, Saeed and Nadia, who live in an unnamed city undergoing civil war and finally have to flee, using a system of magical doors, which lead to different locations around the globe.”

Daniella Olibrice (she/her)
Talent Director

How the García Girls Lost Their Accents
by Julia Alvarez

(Algonquin Books)

“I appreciate how well this novel depicts what it means to both be an immigrant and to assimilate, and the rifts that can cause within familial structures. I love that it switches point of view and focuses on different relationships within the García family, showing each individual sister’s struggles with misogyny, mental health, romance and navigating what it means to be Dominican- American.“

Lisbett Rodriguez (she/her)
Senior Community Coordinator

The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love
by Sonya Renee Taylor

(Penguin Random House)

In this manifesto-meets-workbook, Taylor invites you to explore the question, “How do we fight the impetus to make the bodies we do not understand wrong?” Going far beyond the commodification of self-love, self-care and body positivity, she makes critical connections between body shame and oppression that have since become big, bold Post-It notes on the wall of my brain. I only wish I’d read it sooner!

Richelle Szypulski (she/her)
Senior Editorial Manager