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Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

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Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
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With Dead Silence (a haunted Titantic in space!) and now Ghost Station, Barnes is set to become the queen of intense, claustrophobic space horror! Again with a small crew of deeply disturbed and damaged people, Barnes sets them loose on an icy, abandoned planet to do some dangerous work for an uncaring corporation. Everyone is hiding something. There is a jump-startle behind every closed door and every corner. If it was just these things, that would be great, but under the chills and thrills there are thoughtful explorations of class, the definition of family, the nature of trauma, and opening oneself up to trust and love.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes, (List Price: $27.99, Tor Nightfire, 9781250884923, April 2024)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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woke up no light by Leila Mottley

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woke up no light by Leila Mottley
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What I hope is the beginning of a Leila Mottley renaissance, woke up no light is a poetry collection that solidifies Mottley’s status as one of our time’s best new young writers. Split into four sections defined as girlhood, neighborhood, falsehood, and womanhood, Mottley’s poetry reads as tender yet raw, her musings especially on womanhood and coming into your own are glittering pieces of writing that any reader can acknowledge are full of both heart, hardships, and truth. A remarkable collection for people looking to get into poetry, or for the established readers of the genre!

woke up no light by Leila Mottley, (List Price: $28, Knopf, 9780593319710, April 2024)

Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Women! In! Peril! by Jessie Ren Marshall

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Women! In! Peril! by Jessie Ren Marshall
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I’m happy to report that Women! In! Peril! lives up to its obsession-worthy title and cover. This short story debut is full of smart, fresh fiction that I wanted to savor. Marshall brings a hilarious voice to inventive literary stories about women whose struggles range from divorce to the destruction of the human race. Singular characters like a former ballerina with memory loss and a lesbian whose girlfriend thinks she’s carrying the baby Jesus make up this exciting and unabashedly queer collection!

Women! In! Peril! by Jessie Ren Marshall, (List Price: $17.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639732272, April 2024)

Reviewed by Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Olivetti by Allie Millington

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Olivetti by Allie Millington
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I love this sweet, unique book! Young Ernest is shy and dealing with his family’s secrets doesn’t help. When Ernest’s mom drops off the family’s beloved typewriter Olivetti at the pawn shop and then disappears, the whole family is thrown into an emotional whirlwind. Ernest and Olivetti team up to find out where mom is and why she left. This story will steal your heart – I never expected to have such strong feelings about a sentient typewriter!

Olivetti by Allie Millington, (List Price: $17.99, Feiwel & Friends, 9781250326935, March 2024)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Snowglobe by Soyoung Park

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Snowglobe by Park, Soyoung
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I am not generally a sci-fi reader but this book grabbed me! It’s a chilling tale of dystopian future where those that live in the Snowglobe trade comfort for privacy. Their lives are broadcast on TV constantly and in exchange, they get warmth and safety. Chobahm longs to be a Director, the most coveted role in Snowglobe. When her chance to get out of her family’s poverty arises, she leaps without looking, regardless of the cost.

Snowglobe by Park, Soyoung, (List Price: $20.99, Delacorte Press, 9780593484975, February 2024)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell

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by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell
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I love a horror anthology and a final girl story is even better! This book is a mix of powerhouse authors of color that portray strong black women triumphing over baddies – both human and not. Don’t worry, not EVERYONE survives, so you’ll still get lots of heart-pounding terror, thrills, and chills – plus a side of humor in some tales!

The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell, (List Price: $19.99, Flatiron Press, 9781250871657, April 2024)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Medea by Eilish Quin

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Medea by Eilish Quin
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There have been a lot of Greek mythology retellings in the past few years. But this one is something different, humanizing a character who’s often seen as a villain. Born to an abusive father, Medea grows up the black sheep of the family and teaches herself witchcraft in secret. When Jason and the Argonauts arrive in her homeland for the Golden Fleece, they only do so through her help. She joins them when they leave in order to escape her toxic father but gets no happy ending. Exciting, raw, and told by a powerful antiheroine.

Medea by Eilish Quin, (List Price: $27.99, Atria Books, 9781668020760, February 2024)

Reviewed by Daniel Tyler, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

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by Tiffany D. Jackson
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Korey Fields is dead and Enchanted Jones wakes up next to him covered in blood. Open and shut case? Nah, fam. Korey is an international star, and when he takes 17-year-old Enchanted under his wing, it seems like all of her dreams are coming true. Against her parents’ better judgment, Enchanted joins Korey’s tour entourage and obeys his every demand in the hopes of not only being a star in her own right, but also capturing his heart. Things quickly turn bad and Enchanted finds herself drugged, assaulted, insulted, and abused in countless ways. She’s trapped with no way out and as her desperation grows, she will do anything to get away from him. This book is a powerful look at victim blaming, parent blaming, and how people will overlook so many horrible things to keep their paycheck or their vision of a successful artist intact. Fiction, but taken from some very prominent headlines (no need to mention anyone by name here, we all know the reference) I can only hope that this will open people’s eyes to the injustice that victims face every day, and why so many abusers go unpunished.

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson, (List Price: $11.99, Katherine Tegen Books, 9780062840363, July 2021)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in , Virginia

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I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle

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I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle
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Originally published in Spanish under the title Estoy Fatal, Gracias, this graphic novel follows Jo, a young witch who moves from Spain to London for a dream job making potions. But for all the good things in her life, there are quite a few bad things- an abusive team leader at work, a controlling roommate at home, and a boyfriend who tells her she just needs to more positive- and soon Jo’s depression and feelings that she’s trying so hard to keep locked away explode into literal dragons. This book is a charming way to learn to deal with overwhelming emotions, as Jo starts therapy and learns how to live with her feelings. I absolutely adore the world Pickle has created!

I Feel Awful, ThanksI Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle, (List Price: $17.99, Oni Press, 9781637153000, March 2024)

Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

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The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard
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In a world where one may travel 20 years into the future or 20 years into the past just to take a look at what happened/will happen, which would you choose? This is the world where The Other Valley exists. Would you go back to just see the face of a loved one no longer with you? Would you go forward to see the future? For readers of David Mitchell, Kazuo Ishiguro, this book has you asking yourself “what would I do?”. And what would you do if your job was to police the time trips of those who wished to visit the other Valleys? Great choice for book clubs!

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard, (List Price: $27.99, Atria Books, 9781668015476, February 2024)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn

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Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn
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I devoured this wild queer dystopian novel! In a near future devastated by climate change and social unrest, society is reinvented by a “girlboss” feminist billionaire with dreams of an elite society without men who will go to great, unethical lengths to see her vision through. Spanning decades and seamlessly following a cast of flawed, interesting characters on both the inside and outside of an exclusive living community, this novel is part coming-of-age tale, part queer love story, and part terrifying thriller.

Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn, (List Price: $29, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250283368, December 2023)

Reviewed by Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Apartment House on Poppy Hill by Nina LaCour

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The Apartment House on Poppy Hillby Nina LaCour
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Fans of Ramona Quimby will love Ella, the unofficial ambassador of Poppy Hill. She’s lived in the building her whole life and knows the ropes, so she’s happy to help new neighbors Cleo and Leo when they move in. This darling book is full of quirky characters and is LGBTQ-positive and really heartwarming. I am already looking forward to more in the series!

The Apartment House on Poppy Hill by Nina LaCour, (List Price: $14.99, Chronicle Books, 9781797213736, November 2023)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Julia by Sandra Newman

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Julia by Sandra Newman
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I have read 1984 more than any other book in my life…maybe 12-15 times. Being overly familiar with the inspiration for this retelling, I was skeptical. From Julia’s perspective, Orwell’s classic is reframed from a feminist perspective. While Winston Smith is undoubtedly sympathetic in the original as are the other male victims of the Oceania regime, they still possessed the freedoms and advantages of their gender in the classic. Imagining the same world through largely female characters was even more shocking and heartbreaking. Julia is a survivor. She does what is necessary whether it is fitting into or subverting the system. It’s is hard to like her, but even harder not to deeply admire her and hang on her every move. This powerful, uncomfortable book left me feeling much the same. Recommended!

Julia by Sandra Newman, (List Price: $30, Mariner Books, 9780063265332, October 2022)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Garden Witch by Kyle Beaudette

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The Garden Witch by Kyle Beaudette
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Seemingly silly yet surprisingly emotional, this book follows the story of a witch with a magical garden. But not all that’s magical is welcome for this witch. She has rats that won’t leave her house whose favorite pastime is bullying her and threatening to eat her. And, as if matters couldn’t get worse, nobody wants to buy the witch’s potions at market. She finds unexpected help when her garden produces a dancing turnip who helps her cook and clean. A delightful read about how the love you give finds its way back to you in unexpected ways.

The Garden Witch by Kyle Beaudette, (List Price: 17.95, Eye of Newt Books, 9781777791841, September 2023)

Reviewed by Daniel Tyler, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Haunting by Natasha Preston

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The Haunting by Natasha Preston
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Just in time for Spooky Season. Preston’s latest pays homage to the Scream franchise in this deliciously thrilling tale. Penny and her friends are still recovering from the serial murders that hit their town last Halloween, and when a copycat killer seems to get going on the anniversary of last year’s tragedies they are determined to stop them. Penny’s ex Nash is the son of the man in jail and she’s not going to stop until she proves Nash’s innocence in the copycat spree. The twists abound until the final haunting night of their search for justice.

The Haunting by Natasha Preston, (List Price: 12.99, Delacorte Press, 9780593481516, September 2023)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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