Gabino Iglesias

Monica Brashears debut novel is peculiar and slightly surreal. But it's also dazzling, full of surprises, and told with a voice that's unpredictable and — more importantly — one that lingers.

Rachel Beanland's historical novel chronicles the burning of a theater and its aftermath in Virginia in 1811, while also tackling the rampant racism and misogyny of the times in the process.

Alexandra Robbins illuminates how teachers, who shape our future, live a constant battle against financial pressure, entitled parents, politicians, and the educational system at the local level.

Margaret Atwood's first collection of short stories in almost a decade is a dazzling mixture of tales showcasing her imagination and humor — and exploring everything from love to the afterlife.

Jacqueline Holland's The God of Endings chronicles almost two centuries of one woman's journey while also exploring the beauty of brevity, the power of love, and the importance of art.

In Alex North's skilled hands, this narrative that juggles so many elements becomes a very cohesive, enthralling ride into some of the darkest corners of extreme religiousness and human nature.

In less capable hands, all of this would be too much. But Rebecca Makkai manages to juggle every subplot brilliantly; each sings with a unique voice that harmonizes with the crime story at the heart.

Daniel Black's essays call for an overhaul of the U.S. criminal justice system, of the Black church, of the way Black people see themselves, and of the country itself — and do so with authority

Grady Hendrix's tale of siblings who come together after the deaths of their parents to sell their house fully embraces all the elements readers have come to love about Hendrix's storytelling.

Hermetic, paranoid, sleek, dark — and with brief explosions of the sex and violence that have characterized Ellis' oeuvre — The Shards is a stark reminder that the author is a genre unto himself.