Welcome to New Reads for the Rest of Us for November 2018!
With these monthly lists, I aim to amplify the books written by those who are historically underrepresented including, but not limited to: women, women of color, women from the Global South, women who are Black, Indigenous, dis/abled, queer, fat, immigrants, Muslim, sex-positive, and more. My lists meant to be intersectional, feminist, and trans-inclusive. I also want to highlight books by gender non-conforming people.
If you’d like to learn more about which books I focus on, see my Review Policy. These are just guidelines and I reserve the right to include (or not!) any books I see fit. I usually add to this list as I learn of others; if you have a suggestion, please share it in the comments below!
So here’s New Reads for the Rest of Us for November 2018. These lists are getting long; I may have to start dividing them up! There are so many great titles here, which will you read??
November 1
Tags: Historical fiction, pregnancy, women writers, China
Carolrhoda Lab, 232 pages
“A powerful view into the struggles faced by young women in a world that doesn’t value them–and where they must find strength within themselves and each other.”–Joanne O’Sullivan, author of Between Two Skies
Nov. 1
Tags: Music, queer, women writers, US history
University of Nebraska Press, 234 pages
“Queering Kansas City Jazz offers a new and exciting perspective on the jazz scene that accompanied the growth of Kansas City from frontier town to metropolitan city during the early twentieth century. It will potentially change the way in which we understand regional identity and recognize those who were pushed into the margins of our social histories.”—Tammy Kernodle, professor of musicology at Miami University and author of Soul on Soul: The Life and Music of Mary Lou Williams
November 2
Tags: Literature, literary criticism, women writers
Ohio State University Press, 156 pages
“Black Love, Black Hate is the first book to uncover the role of intimate antagonisms in the ongoing production of African American literature. Felice Blake teaches us how African American literature becomes a type of ‘town meeting that cannot meet anywhere else.’”–Margo Natalie Crawford, author of Black Post-Blackness: The Black Arts Movement and Twenty-First-Century Aesthetics
Nov. 6
Tags: Feminism, Black women, women writers
University of Texas Press, 216 pages
“You’ll come away from each chapter with a new appreciation of what Beyoncé has meant to women, particularly black women, across the country.”–The Current
“Sure to appeal to scholars and pop-culture enthusiasts alike, this provocative book works to blur the lines between straight and gay black feminism. . . Lively and intelligent reading.”–Kirkus Reviews
November 6
Tags: Afghanistan, military, women writers, biography, history
Da Capo Press, 275 pages
“[The] story of the fight for women’s rights in a country where the male power structure opposes them…Compelling. The author’s own military experience gives the book a perspective that is especially useful. A solid, fact-filled look at an underreported piece of the American military.”–Kirkus Reviews
November 6
Tags: Women writers, Canadian history, Canada, First Nations, Native Americans, Inuit
University of Chicago Press, 272 pages
The author intends to donate all royalties from this book to the Elders’ Room at the Angmarlik Center in Pangnirtung, Nunavut.
“Weaving together stories told by Inuit men and women with those set down by white men who chased whales, wealth, and adventure, Do You See Ice? lets us consider what it has meant to travel, to be lost, to be homesick, and finally, to be home.”–Ann Fabian, author of The Skull Collectors: Race, Science, and America’s Unburied Dead
November 6
Tags: YA, fantasy, romance, folklore
HMH Books for Young Readers, 384 pages
November 6
Tags: YA, fantasy, LGBTQ
Jimmy Patterson, 400 pages
“Thrust into the beauty and horror of the Hidden Palace, will this Paper Girl survive? Ideal for those seeking diverse LGBTQ fantasy stories.”–Kirkus
November 6
Tags: YA, women writers, debut
Razorbill, 366 pages
“Suspenseful and gritty, Hide With Me is a beautifully written novel that captivates from the very first page.”–Robin Roe, author of A List of Cages
November 6
Tags: Korea, women writers, #OwnVoices, coming of age, family
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 304 pages
“I felt as though I had stepped into a graceful story of two countries, South Korea and America, and family ties that survive the challenges of history.”–Krys Lee, author of How I Became a North Korean
“What an extraordinary time to read this heartfelt novel about the bonds of family, set against the backdrop of the Korean War. Eugenia Kim is a masterful storyteller who makes her characters come to life as she spans decades, continents, and cultures.”–Jung Yun, author of Shelter
November 6
Tags: Japan, short stories, women writers
Soft Skull Press, 224 pages
The Millions Most Anticipated in the Second Half of 2018
“This inventive and chilling volume will have U.S. audiences craving more from Motoya.”–Library Journal
November 6
Tags: Black women, poetry, women writers
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 208 pages
“The poems are haunting reflections on a mother’s murder, the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, an early 20th-century prostitute in New Orleans, a regiment of black soldiers guarding Confederate POWs, mixed-race families and the black working class. The opening poem, a new one, titled ‘Imperatives for Carrying On in the Aftermath,’ ends with an emotional punch to the gut that sets the tone for what follows.”–Atlanta Journal-Constitution
November 6
Tags: Politics, literary, contemporary women, women writers
Viking, 256 pages
“Genius. That’s what I kept thinking as I read this novel that somehow combines an invented island, a political bookstore, fragments of a stage production, and a story that’s at once a damning critique of craven self-interest and a tale about our inescapable connectedness. Idra Novey has written an irreverent, magical, perfect puzzle of a book.”–Cristina Henriquez, author of The Book of Unknown Americans
November 12
Tags: Queer, Black women, oral history, US history
University of North Carolina Press, 592 pages
“An amazing work that reflects Johnson’s passion, care for his subjects, sharp analytical skills, and standing in the field.”–Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Spelman College
November 13
Tags: Black women, women writers, politics, memoir, #OwnVoices
Crown, 400 pages
“An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States.”–Description
November 13
Tags: Fantasy, debut, women writers
Orbit, 496 pages
“A darkly intricate, devastating, and utterly original story about the ways we are bound by those we love.”–R. F. Kuang, author of The Poppy War
November 13
Tags: Literary fiction, women writers, Latinx, debut
Feminist Press at CUNY, 224 pages
“A deeply personal mythology interwoven with the fibers of LA, simultaneously shaped by and shaping our city, Nikki Darling’s Fade Into You is a poetic portrait of a young girl’s life in the Angeleno multiverse.”–Alice Bag, author of Violence Girl
November 13
Tags: Women writers, Iraq, memoir, #OwnVoices
Prometheus Books, 304 pages
“Told with exuberance and honesty, First Comes Marriage is a charming, delightful memoir of love and self-discovery. Huda Al-Marashi has written a smart, down-to-earth, and unforgettable modern-day love story that celebrates the enduring bonds of culture, faith, and family. A wonderful book.”–Jasmin Darznik, New York Times–bestselling author of Song of a Captive Bird
November 13
Tags: War, family, women writers, Philippines
Soho Press, 336 pages
“Gina Apostol—a smart writer, a sharp critic, a keen intellectual—takes on the vexed relationship between the Philippines and the United States, pivoting on that relationship’s bloody origins. Insurrecto is meta-fictional, meta-cinematic, even meta-meta, plunging us into the vortex of memory, history, and war where we can feel what it means to be forgotten, and what it takes to be remembered.”–Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author The Sympathizer
November 20
Tags: India, women writers, family, literary
Atria, 288 pages
“[Roy] is a writer of great subtlety and intelligence, who understands that emotional power comes from the steady accretion of detail….[All the Lives We Never Lived] does not directly refer to #MeToo or the macho hyper-nationalism of today’s India. But in its portrayal of power structures, it is part of those very contemporary political conversations. It is also a beautifully written and compelling story of how families fall apart and of what remains in the aftermath.”–Kamila Shamsie, The Guardian
My review is coming soon!
November 20
Tags: Lesbian, romance, military
Bella Books, 288 pages
“There’s no doubt that both Sabine and Rebecca want the same thing. But how do you help the most important person in your life when they don’t want to need your help?
Ask Me Again is the must-read sequel to the best-selling Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”–Description
November 20
Tags: Lesbian, romance
Bella Books, 266 pages
“When screenwriter Julie Carter accidentally spills hot coffee all over her, lawyer Cameron Kassen is convinced that her day can’t get any worse. But Cameron’s mood quickly improves when Julie starts to flirt with her. Only in town for a couple of days, they both lament that the flirtation can go nowhere.
Fiction mirrors reality and when Julie decides to add a surprise alternate ending to the story, Cameron is presented with a puzzle. Only by solving it will she be able to unlock the ending Julie intends just for her…but will it also unlock her heart?”–Description
November 20
Tags: History, memoir, Holocaust, women writers, nonfiction, #OwnVoices
“Includes the rare account of someone involved in the continuing administration of the camp after the war, facing the issues of epidemic and quarantine and coping with the inquiries from relatives seeking any word of their family members’ fates.”–Christopher Browning, author of Remembering Survival
November 20
Tags: Translation, women writers, China, literary fiction, #OwnVoices
Yale University Press, 288 pages
“Ambitious . . . masterful . . . Can Xue’s superb experimental novel is sure to keep readers hooked.”–Emily Park, Booklist
“Love in the New Millennium is, as always with Can Xue’s work, a marvel. She is one of the most innovative and important contemporary writers in China and, in my opinion, in world literature.”–Bradford Morrow, author of The Prague Sonata
November 20
Tags: Nigeria, Black women, women writers, debut, humor, #OwnVoices
Doubleday, 240 pages
“Who is more dangerous? A femme fatale murderess or the quiet, plain woman who cleans up her messes? In My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite answers that question with an original and compelling debut. I never knew what was going to happen, but found myself pulling for both sisters, as I relished the creepiness and humor of this modern noir.”–Helen Ellis, New York Times bestselling author of American Housewife
My review coming soon!
Nov. 21
Tags: Trans, memoir, #OwnVoices, queer
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 248 pages
“As someone who was called a tomboy growing up as well, it gives invaluable and often ignored insight into the life of a trans masculine person. Strong, powerful and a valuable resource about the importance of supporting trans youth, regardless of their gender expression.”–Fox Fisher, film maker, artist and campaigner
November 27
Tags: Women writers, short stories, science fiction
Orbit, 416 pages
“The stories are wonderful. In worlds both invariably cruel and brilliantly imagined, heroism thrives in the margins.”–Nicky Drayden, author of The Prey of Gods
November 27
Tags: Poetry, lesbian, loss, romance
Button Poetry, 96 pages
“Andrea Gibson’s latest collection is a masterful showcase from the poet whose writing and performances have captured the hearts of millions. With artful and nuanced looks at gender, romance, loss, and family, Lord of the Butterflies is a new peak in Gibson’s career. Each emotion here is deft and delicate, resting inside of imagery heavy enough to sink the heart, while giving the body wings to soar.”–Description
November 27
Tags: Violence, feminism, India, #OwnVoices, women writers
The New Press, 224 pages
“If the #MeToo campaign is to have any lasting impact . . . it will be because of books such as this.”–Preti Taneja, author of We That Are Young
“The right to our own bodies is the first step in any democracy, and by that measure, women in general—especially those of us also devalued by race, caste, or class—are still subject to an intimate dictatorship. Read the personal stories in What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape and see how far we have come—and have yet to go.”–Gloria Steinem
Nov. 28
Tags: Wisconsin, US history, women writers
Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 224 pages
“Only a fraction of what is known about Madison’s earliest African American settlers and the vibrant and cohesive communities they formed has been preserved in traditional sources. The rest is contained in the hearts and minds of their descendants. Seeing a pressing need to preserve these experiences, lifelong Madison resident Muriel Simms collected the stories of twenty-five African Americans whose families arrived, survived, and thrived here in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.”–Description
Those are the New Reads for the Rest of Us for November 2018! What are you reading this month??
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There are a few there that I have had my eye on for a while. At the top of that list would be Michelle Obama’s memoir. She has always impressed me. She could have been the snooty, better that everyone, type of first lady, but she used her position for good. She remained grounded, yet amazingly intelligent, emphatic and fun. Her spin with James Corden on Carpool Karaoke was definitely memorable for all the right reasons. I am not American so did not have my eye on the politics but everything I saw of the Obama’s impressed me. You got a sense of an intelligent team running the country.
YES the intelligence is something we are definitely missing at present! Mrs. Obama always seemed like someone to go dancing with or to a book reading – so dignified and amazingly intelligent but accessible and fun at the same time.
The world needs more highlight lists like these! Girls of Paper and Fire is actually next on my TBR and I’m really hoping it lives up to the hype! I definitely want to read Michelle Obama’s memoir as well!
Thanks, Mandi! I am hearing a lot of great things about both books! I will be curious to see what you think of them.
all new to me – thanx for the info
Thanks so much for sharing this! Those that weren’t on my TBR already I’m adding!
I haven’t heard of many of these. November will Dey be a busy month for you.
Every month is busy for me! lol
I’m excited for Girls of Paper and Fire and Empire of Sand.
Thanks for sharing. I’ve only heard of a few of them before. Most look really good.
Wow some great books that I need to check out!
Such pretty covers. thanks for the recommendations!
Thanks for sharing this list. I spy Oyinkan’s book and I look forward to your review. Will add Michelle’s book to my TBR to read over the Christmas holidays.
Just started it yesterday and so far, so good!
Great! Looking forward to your review.
Here it is http://www.karlajstrand.com/2018/11/19/a-review-of-oyinkan-braithwaites-my-sister-the-serial-killer/
You have a busy month like me!
Always!
This is an amazing list! I need to read some of these and wish I had more time so I could finish them all before the end of 2018. We need more reading time! 😉
Agreed! More reading time for all!!
Ooooh all this books looks amazing.! More for My tbr list 🙂
Wow great post and amazing list of books I don’t know yet what I am going to read this month yet but I am probably going to start reading on Monday. I hope you enjoy each and every book, thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
Thanks for such kind comments, Kati! Happy reading!
Girls on Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan looks AMAZING! Here’s hoping you love it if you pick it up! 🙂
Girls on Paper and Fire has been the most talked about book of this list I guess. Heard so many good things about this one. Great list.
Thank you!
I really value this monthly feature, Karla. There are so many books each time that I want to read. Black. Queer. Southern. Women. sounds particularly interesting. I love oral histories, and I haven’t read one for a while. Last Days of Theresienstadt also caught my eye because the last novel I read, Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald, involved the same camp in a fictional setting.
Thanks so much for your kindness, Andrew! I am so glad you like these lists. I started putting them together just for myself and one day figured someone else might get something out of them so started putting them online. I appreciate the feedback. There are so many great books this month and I am so far behind in my reading! I thought the same about Black. Queer. Southern. Women. I love the amount of new books coming out by queer and trans writers of color.
Wow! What an amazing list! thank you:)